If you haven't been fantasizing about what you'd do with the record-breaking Mega Millions jackpot (ahem, now up to $640 million), you get an F in daydreaming class. There are so many things we'd use the extra cash for in San Francisco alone, so we decided ask our office mates their wild ideas about what they'd use the jackpot on in our fair city. Here's what we discovered:
- "I'd offer free commuter bikes to every person in the Bay Area and then buy off all anti-bike commute politicians in City Hall." –Alan Nichols, CEO
- "I would donate a bunch of money to organizations to ensure marriage equality in California. I'd also like to save the city of Stockton and possibly rename it after my mom, Celerina." –Riley Manlapaz, Marketing Director
- "First, I would buy a house in San Francisco so I could stop paying inflated rent, then fly my family out from the East Coast to visit. I'd give all of my friends tickets to Outside Lands. I'd donate a bunch of dough to the SF Bicycle Coalition so we could make separated bike lanes on more streets. I'd sponsor Bay Area 4-year college tuition and housing for 100 kids from developing countries in Latin America, Asia, and Africa. Then, I would invest in promising travel-related startups. After setting aside money to travel, I would start the Dunkin' Donuts franchise in SF." –Mary Polizzotti, Editor, 7x7.com
- "I'll make a zip line tour from Coit Tour all the way to Alcatraz, which I will have rented out to watch the America's Cup and have the party of the century." –Sarah McHie, Production Manager, 7x7.com
- I'd open a bar called DUI Friday's. The premise of DUI's would be to get falling-down drunk and then get driven home in a tow truck. I would build a privately run prison on Mount Davidson and it would be used to incarcerate all sexual predators and violent criminals who'd do publicly televised gladiator battles. I'd subsidize any expense not made through TV commercials. I would also run for mayor. My platform would be providing human vacuums to clean up Sixth Street, and my campaign slogan would be 'Scram.'" –Jeremy Paz, Director of Operations
- "If I won the lottery I would re-fund all the state parks that are closing. If I had money left over, I would also up ranger compensation and improve the maintenance budgets so that more people could enjoy them." –Timothy Wudarski, Office Stunt Coordinator
- "First, I would fund my kids' college tuition before anything else. I would travel by motorcycle in Mongolia. I would buy a complete art collection at the Hunter's Point Open Studios, and I would buy a black vespa to ride in San Francisco." –Todd Sotkiewicz, President
- "First I'd throw 7x7 a big party catered by Chairman Bao. I’d buy this killer house in SOMA, right off of South Park, which features a big loft space for living and an office space on the second floor. Then, I’d hire the city’s best developers to come up with 'the next big thing.' I don’t know what the next big thing is, but it would be cool. I’d spend a few years building it out, sell it, become mega mega rich, retire early and spend the rest of my years traveling. I’d also adopt this puppy, now that I’d have money to hire a dog walker. I would change his name to Trout and he would live with my parent’s dog Biggie when I was out of town." –Erin Renzas, Editor, californiahomedesign.com
As for me? I would make every Monday night at every bar in the city "Metal Mondays," wherein metal bands and DJs would take over SF's nightlife scene, I would build my own personal hybrid Turtle Tower-La Taqueira attached to my kitchen, make Sutro Tower light up every night in shifting colors corresponding to my mood, have Tony's pizza and nachos from Taqueria Cancun brought to me whenever by courier cats, and I'd build a giant heated, artificially sunlit dome over Baker Beach so it would mimic the beaches from my hometown, Honoulu, Hawaii.
What would you use the Mega Millions jackpot for?