by Ray Burke

Created on: July 04, 2008

What would I do with millions of pounds?

So, I've won millions of pounds or earned it through selling a cracking idea or business; what would I do with my newfound wealth? Needless to say, I've now made myself, parents and siblings comfortable for life. I have distinguished between my needs and wants, and drawn up my budgets and plans for future use of the money. I would not advertise the fact that I was now more affluent to avoid making rash decisions under undue duress from various individuals and organisations. My monetary policies and priorities would be my personal decision alone.

I would invest some money. I am a big believer in space exploration, robotic and manned, and with funding falling for sciences in Britain and with budgetary cuts in space agencies I would lend a private hand. Space exploration in the future would be a private-public adventure and I would want to be at the forefront of new challenges and missions in space. I might even buy a ticket to be onboard a private suborbital flight. Seeing Earth from space would be absolutely priceless.

I would also invest in green technology, especially solar power and strive to set up large solar farms. Any company I set up to achieve this would be publicly owned and operated in such a way that any profit would be returned to the community and not to disinterested share-holders. I would also consider the flip side; the oil companies, the aircraft giants and bio-tech research. Should I invest with them to make money to be used for the greater good? Would the ends justify the means? Should I swim with the sharks in order to save the fish? Could I resist the temptation to fully immerse myself in the money market and forget about my goals? Maybe with the right incentive, I could, but would my money be tainted or my conscience clear? I would have to tread this ethical mine-field carefully.

I would also set up funds. I've been a down and out student, long-term unemployed, and have had to battle with various agencies who think you have unlimited friends, relatives or other means of bail-outs and paying off debts. The bureaucracy is ridiculous and these agencies only care about the bottom line: raking in their money -from you. I would trial my funding organisation on my friends first, by paying off their student loans, for free. Why? Because I could. And because there are people in this world who have worked damned hard to earn their degrees and/or to get a job, but now have a millstone around their neck in the

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