Name: 樂透頭獎得主最常犯的大錯誤！ (The biggest mistake lottery winners make)
Uploaded: 2026-02-26T22:33:00.000Z
Duration: 6 min 23 s

In January 2016, the US Powerball made history by awarding the first jackpot to exceed $1 billion.

在 2016 年 1 月，美國 Powerball 創下了歷史，開出了史上第一個頭獎超過 10 億美元。

情態副詞

The three winning ticket holders were incredibly lucky, with odds of roughly 1 in 300 million.

三位中獎者真是幸運到不行，機率大約是三億分之一。

By some estimates, you're statistically more likely to be killed by a nearby meteor strike.

有些估計說，你被附近流星擊中的機率，比中獎還高。

After winning such a huge jackpot, you might assume your life would immediately become simpler.

贏得這麼大的頭獎後，你可能會覺得生活會立刻變得簡單。

But there are plenty of new challenges to navigate.

但其實有好多新的挑戰要面對。

First, most experts advise hiring a lawyer to protect you from fraud, harassment, and other legal risks.

首先，大部分專家建議聘請律師，保護你免受詐騙、騷擾和其他法律風險。

It's also critical to safeguard yourself against impulsive spending, a trap many lottery winners fall into.

同時，保護自己不亂花錢也非常重要，這是很多樂透中獎者會掉進的陷阱。

Take one Pennsylvania lotto winner who, after winning $16.2 million, made so many extravagant purchases that he ended up in $500,000 of debt within three months.

舉個賓州樂透中獎者的例子，他贏了 1620 萬美元，結果在三個月內買了太多奢侈品，反而欠下 50 萬美元的債務。

And you'll need to make one more decision, one that could dramatically shape the course of your financial future.

而且，你還需要做出一個決定，這個決定可能會大幅影響你財務未來。

Lottery winnings are typically paid out in one of two ways.

樂透獎金通常有兩種支付方式。

You can choose the full jackpot amount, paid out in annual installments over 30 years.

你可以選擇全額的頭獎金額，分 30 年的年度分期付款。

Or you can take a much smaller lump sum, paid out immediately.

或者，你可以選擇一次性領取金額少很多的獎金，馬上拿到。

To better understand the financial implications of this choice, let's walk through both scenarios.

為了讓你更瞭解這個選擇的財務影響，我們來分析這兩種情況。

Assuming you're the sole winner of a $3 million jackpot, the annuity would pay roughly $50,000 the first year.

假設你是 300 萬美元頭獎的唯一得主，第一年年金大約會支付 5 萬美元。

You'd then receive increasing annual payments for the next 30 years, reaching a grand total of 3 million.

接下來的 30 年，你每年收到的付款會增加，總計 300 萬美元。

In the short term, it might make sense to pay off any high interest debts like credit cards, auto loans, student loans, or mortgages.

短期來看，償還高利率債務，像是信用卡、車貸、學貸或房貸，會比較划算。

In 2024, the average American owed around $100,000 across these categories, so the first few annuity payments could clear much of it.

2024 年，美國人平均在這些項目上欠了約 10 萬美元，所以最初幾期的年金付款就能還清大部分債務。

Alternatively, initial payments could go towards building an emergency fund, which is typically a savings account that could cover three to six months of expenses.

或者，最初的付款可以用來建立緊急預備金，這通常是個能支付三到六個月開銷的儲蓄帳戶。

This would put you ahead of most Americans.

這樣一來，你就會比大多數美國人更有優勢。

A 2024 survey found that only 46% of adults had enough saved fund.

2024 年一項調查發現，只有 46% 的成年人有足夠的儲蓄。

Pay three months of bills Receiving your winnings in a slow drip might not be as thrilling as an immediate tidal wave of cash.

支付三個月的帳單 雖然一次性收到大筆獎金可能不如立即湧入的現金來得刺激。

However, when used wisely, the annuity can provide financial stability from the start while ensuring a steady income stream for the future.

不過，如果聰明地運用，年金一開始就能提供財務穩定，同時確保未來有穩定的收入來源。

But maybe your goal is strictly to maximize your winnings.

但也許你的目標是純粹最大化你的獎金。

In that case, the upfront lump sum might actually be the best, better choice, even though you'll forfeit about half the advertised jackpot and it's often subject to a higher tax rate, a $3 million jackpot might leave you with just $850,000 after all these deductions.

在這種情況下，一次性領取可能才是最好的選擇，即使你會損失大約一半的廣告頭獎金額，而且通常稅率更高，一個 300 萬美元的頭獎在扣除所有這些稅款後，你可能只剩下 85 萬美元。

Still, with some patience you could end up with more money if you utilize the power of compound interest.

儘管如此，只要有耐心，你就能利用複利的威力，最終獲得更多錢。

Compound interest builds like a snowball.

You earn interest on your original investment and then start earning interest on that interest.

你會從你的原始投資中賺取利息，然後開始從這些利息中賺取利息。

Benjamin Franklin famously illustrated this by leaving just £1,000 in two accounts in 1790 with instructions to let it compound.

班傑明·富蘭克林在 1790 年有名地展示了這一點，他將 1,000 英鎊存入兩個帳戶，並訓示讓它複利增長。

After 200 years, these funds grew to $6.5 million.

200 年後，這些資金增長到 650 萬美元。

So if you took the $850,000 lump sum and invested it in the US stock market, it could grow exponentially over time.

所以，如果你拿了 85 萬美元的一次性領取，並將其投資於美國股市，隨著時間的推移，它的增長將呈指數級增長。

Take The S&P 500, an index fund that includes 500 leading companies and is typically considered a stable long term investment.

以標準普爾 500 指數為例，這是一個包含 500 家領先公司的指數基金，通常被認為是一項穩定的長期投資。

Historically, it's returned an average of 10.5% per year.

歷史上，它的年平均回報率為 10.5%。

If you'd won 30 years ago and invested the lump sum in the S&P 500, it'd be worth over $19 million today.

如果你在 30 年前中獎，並將一次性領取的獎金投資於標準普爾 500 指數，那麼今天它的價值將超過 1900 萬美元。

Ultimately, choosing between the lump sum and the annuity comes down to knowing your own goals and priorities.

最終，在一次性領取和年金選項之間做出選擇，取決於你對自己目標和優先事項的瞭解。

Are you content to wait decades as your fortune builds?

你是否滿足於等待幾十年，看著你的財富累積？

Does a lifetime of steady paychecks feel more reassuring than one big payout?

終身穩定的收入是否比一次性的大筆支出讓你感到更安心？

Understanding your values also makes it easier to spend with intention and avoid impulsive buys.

瞭解你的價值觀也能讓你更容易有目的地消費，避免衝動購物。

And this mindset isn't just for lottery winners.

而這種心態不只適用於樂透中獎者。

Consider this say you spend $3 per day or around $1,000 per year on lottery tickets.

想像一下，你每天花 3 美元，一年大約花 1,000 美元買彩券。

If at 18, you had instead chosen to invest that money consistently, you could likely retire with over a million dollars.

如果 18 歲時，你選擇將這筆錢持續投資，你很可能可以存到超過一百萬美元退休。

In other words, while lottery winners are rare, building up your own million dollar jackpot doesn't have to be and you can start building it right now.

換句話說，雖然樂透中頭獎的人很少，但累積你自己的百萬頭獎並非不可能，而且你現在就可以開始。

TED Ed has partnered with Gifted Savings, a non profit that gifts $1,000 investment portfolios and free financial education to young people, helping them learn how to grow their wealth over time.

TED Ed 與 Gifted Savings 合作，Gifted Savings 是一個非營利組織，會贈送價值 1,000 美元的投資組合和免費的財務教育給年輕人，幫助他們學習如何隨著時間累積財富。

Learn how you can bring gifted savings to your school or community@ed ted.com Gifted Savings.

瞭解如何將 Gifted Savings 帶到你的學校或社區，請聯繫@ed ted.com Gifted Savings。