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My friend is 19 and a millionaire....

H

haiggy

macrumors 65816
Original poster
Aug 20, 2003
1,328
76
Ontario, Canada
This thread is kind of a spin-off of this thread, or atleast brought up the topic for me: https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/226503/

I'm currently 20 and have a friend who is 19 who I've known for my whole life pretty much. We lived on the same street since Grade 1 through 12 up until university where he moved out and bought his own house. How is this possible you ask? Well, he started playing poker when he was 16 online under his parents credit card and has since then moved on to live tournaments and won the EPT Dortmund 2008 for 933,600 euros when he was 18. Youngest person to win that much in a live tournament as far as I know. There's an article and video of the final table here: Article, Final Table
Every time I watch that video it's so crazy to actually SEE him on TV, playing with pros and winning that much money.

Anyways, he won that tournament when he was 18, plays online quite a bit and plays tables where pots will get up to $25k. Insane. From 16-19 he's made probably close to $3 million CDN and now travels the world playing in live poker tournaments. He paid off his parents' mortgage when he was 16 and bought them a new car.

Kind of unfortunate as since then, we have lost touch and I've seen him maybe once in the past year. Disappointing, actually. We'd always hang out at each other's house and we also played sports together (on the same team, etc.)

Anyways, long story but if you had ever won that much money what would you do with it? Would you give some of your close friends some cash? (Obviously not all of them) Keep in mind that $10k is only 0.33% of your money. Would you throw some parties? Obviously not spend or give it all away but ANYTHING? I personally believe I would but it's probably different when you're in that situation. I think it would be cool to buy my friends new cars or something.... maybe at least iPhones and pay for the contracts? Meanwhile he plans on buying like a used honda civic for himself... and doesn't spend very much.

I guess this is kind of more of a rant as how I feel as if I've lost a good friend to poker + gambling/money... and he hasn't really realized that or said anything to me about missing the old days or giving me some cash :p Haha I've tried to see him lately, and I did once but he hasn't really followed up with much as far as wanting to hang out again. I know I don't deserve anything from him as I didn't win it myself and it is not mine, but it's really hard not to be jealous....

What do you think?

Oh, and he's really good at math. Won tons of math contests, was very bright from a young age and was studying Actuarial Science at school. He left school after 2nd year to pursue poker and said he doesn't really plan on going back ever. Kind of a waste of a smart mind in my opinion.
 
More power to him!

If a million pounds was to magically fall into my lap tomorrow I'd buy a shack by the sea and grow a big, bushy beard to compliment it.
 
If I won one million dollars, I would likely sever ties with all the people I grew up with who thought my talents were a waste of my mental abilities.
 
it's nice to hear about you're friend's success in life, though i'm sorry to hear that you two have lost touch:(.

and as for what would i do towards my friends: i wouldn't buy iPhones for my friends just because i can, i would however be generous towards the people who actually cared about me. such as yourself towards your (hate to do it but, former?) best friend.

less important so small font....i am kindaaaa in the same boat, my best friend moved to Cali (i'm from Massachusetts) when we were in about middle school because of his dad's job. we lost a lot of touch, but i get to see him almost every Christmas though i wish i saw him more than that. his parents are wealthy, but they don't just like drop money on people for the sake of it.


just my two cents.
 
BoyBach said:
More power to him!

If a million pounds was to magically fall into my lap tomorrow I'd buy a shack by the sea and grow a big, bushy beard to compliment it.
Click to expand...

i would do the exact same thing, except instead of a shack it would be a loft, and instead of the sea it would be in nyc. and instead of growing a big bushy beard, i would be in a nice spa getting a facial.
 
petermcphee said:
If I won one million dollars, I would likely sever ties with all the people I grew up with who thought my talents were a waste of my mental abilities.
Click to expand...

lol Nice comment, great stuff.

I'm sorry but I was just referring to the fact that he is a smart guy - he could change the world in some way. Instead he's just essentially taking money from other people, etc. I wouldn't say that poker makes the world a better place, would you?

Sure he has to be smart to win, and good on him but to just win lots of money, not finish school, never have a job... to me that is a waste of a person's intelligence that could be used somehow for some good.

Thanks for your opinion :rolleyes:

bobfitz14 said:
it's nice to hear about you're friend's success in life, though i'm sorry to hear that you two have lost touch:(.

and as for what would i do towards my friends: i wouldn't buy iPhones for my friends just because i can, i would however be generous towards the people who actually cared about me. such as yourself towards your (hate to do it but, former?) best friend.

less important so small font....i am kindaaaa in the same boat, my best friend moved to Cali (i'm from Massachusetts) when we were in about middle school because of his dad's job. we lost a lot of touch, but i get to see him almost every Christmas though i wish i saw him more than that. his parents are wealthy, but they don't just like drop money on people for the sake of it.


just my two cents.
Click to expand...

Sorry to hear that you're kind of in the same boat. Yeah he was my best friend for sure. Now communication is down to nothing. Sure friends move on, move, etc... but I lost the friend to gambling and what would be the worst part is he doesn't feel like he's missing out on anything.
 
0.33% would be a lot more than 10k. Did you mean 0.033%?

$3 million is nothing. I've written out plans for if I win a $100 million jackpot.

First of all, i'd select the 200 people in my life that are closest to me, and give them each $100,000.

With the remaining $80 million I would invest $40 million of it in real estate, $35 million in high interest bonds and what not, and keep $5 million for myself to live on.
 
It's nice to hear a success story. The sad thing about poker/gambling is how lots of 16 year-olds are ruining there futures in hope that they too could become millionaires playing poker. I've got a close friend who is actually quite smart, but he gave up school and work so that he could fuel his poker thirst.

Money changes people. If I were to win $1 million, first thing I'd do is give half to my parents. After all, they are the reason I'm here. :)

#2. I'd buy a couple of cars.

#3. I'd invest the the rest or keep it in the bank.
 
BoyBach said:
More power to him!

If a million pounds was to magically fall into my lap tomorrow I'd buy a shack by the sea and grow a big, bushy beard to compliment it.
Click to expand...
I'd do that but with a place tucked away in Pennines or up in Scotland someware.

Dammit I might just do that anyway.

But yea I'd just get a nice house. Nice car (nothing flashy). Enroll myself on a few courses and sit comfortably for a good few years.
 
MegaMillions said:
0.33% would be a lot more than 10k. Did you mean 0.033%?

$3 million is nothing. I've written out plans for if I win a $100 million jackpot.

First of all, i'd select the 200 people in my life that are closest to me, and give them each $100,000.

With the remaining $80 million I would invest $40 million of it in real estate, $35 million in high interest bonds and what not, and keep $5 million for myself to live on.
Click to expand...

( 10,000 / 3,000,000 ) x 100% = 0.33%

Or am I missing something here....
 
My best friend's grandmother left him, his sister, and their father each close to 3 million in her will. She'll still be around for years to come
 
haiggy said:
What do you mean by that?
Click to expand...

Maybe she wrote it into her will, but hasn't died yet? Or that her memory will live on because of all the money that was left behind.

If I had a million dollars fall in my lap today? I'm involved with a non-profit (charity) summer camp that just bought their own property to build a campsite on (dining hall, cabins). They need to fundraise another half a million dollars or so to make it happen. I suspect I'd play a big part in that. :D

Apart from that, I imagine not much would change. I would invest the rest, pay off my mortgage, maybe buy a slightly nicer car to replace my Toyota (we're talking Lexus here, not Ferrari!), and be secure knowing that if I lost my job, I'd be able to manage.
 
Personally, I'd do something a tad different. I wouldn't go crazy spending things. I'd pay off my parents mortgage on our house in the UK, buy my mother a new G-Wagen, and quietly upgrade the things in my house.

Oh, and buy my gran a better car :D
 
I have a rather detailed plan for when I get rich, but I'll spare you the details.

I wouldn't spend a lot of money at first, I'd live a decent life, get some new clothes, furniture, ******** of music, but still keep it simple. What was left I'd put in a savings account that I would take a couple thousand out of every month. A fixed sum in a range where my money would last me till I was dead. That way, my biggest dream ever would come true - doing the job I love to do at the hours I want without ever having to worry about money.
 
$3,000,000 by today's exchange is £2,100,000 so...

TVR Sagaris: £40,000
Expensive gifts: £50,000
Mattress: £100
Stash in that mattress: £1,000,000
Save and invest: The remaining million or so.
 
MegaMillions said:
30,500 x 0.33 = 10,065.

3,000,000 x 0.33 = 990,000.

3,000,000 x 0.0033 = 9,900.

Am I missing something??
Click to expand...

yes, 3,000,000 x 0.0033 = 9,900... but 0.0033 is 0.33% in decimal form... you have to multiply by 100% to get it in %.

so what you thought i did was 3,000,000 x 0.33.... but really i was doing 3,000,000 x 0.0033

0.33% = 0.0033
0.0033% = 0.000033

Edit: Yeah, Mr. lax has got it right
 
haiggy said:
yes, 3,000,000 x 0.0033 = 9,900... but 0.0033 is 0.33% in decimal form... you have to multiply by 100% to get it in %.

so what you thought i did was 3,000,000 x 0.33.... but really i was doing 3,000,000 x 0.0033

0.33% = 0.0033
0.0033% = 0.000033

Edit: Yeah, Mr. lax has got it right
Click to expand...

Got it. :)
 
Hey man, I'm sorry you lost a friend. I know exactly what you're trying to say, I guess money corrupts most people. Not to say it made him a bad person, but it can change your priorities.
 
haiggy said:
Anyways, long story but if you had ever won that much money what would you do with it? Would you give some of your close friends some cash? (Obviously not all of them) Keep in mind that $10k is only 0.33% of your money. Would you throw some parties? Obviously not spend or give it all away but ANYTHING? I personally believe I would but it's probably different when you're in that situation. I think it would be cool to buy my friends new cars or something.... maybe at least iPhones and pay for the contracts? Meanwhile he plans on buying like a used honda civic for himself... and doesn't spend very much.
Click to expand...

Sounds like you just want some money as a reward for your friendship. That's pretty poor form if you ask me. I bet he gets people being phoney with him all the time now that he has some dollars, no wonder he bailed.

I like your friend, he has made some money but has his feet on the ground. He is a numbers man and I expect he understands money much more than most.

A real friend would not want money or gifts just because.
 
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