Re: Ethical question: What would you do if...
 

I believe you owe the federal government 27% of winnings, and from state to state it varies. In Connecticut its 4.5%, but I'd rather have $685,000 than a "FREE 20OZ COKE!"

Re: Ethical question: What would you do if...
 

One word-

Vegas!


In reality I would keep it. I have debt that I don't want to live with for the next 20 or 30 years, and if anyone argues ethics with me for taking the chance to pay it off now then I'll turn around and leave. I opened the bottle and I won. It's mine. Mine mine mine.

The rest? Probably would go into mutual funds and maybe a trust fund for future Andy Jr.'s. A million dollars is a lot of money, but I don't think it's enough to just up and retire. I'd enjoy the rest of college and maybe even stick around for a masters. After that, having some money to draw on would make post college life a whole lot easier until I can start making my own.

But that'll never happen. I only drink Root beer. Nobody wins millions drinking root beer.

-Andy A.

Re: Ethical question: What would you do if...
 

In most states finders-keepers is not in the lawbooks - if you find something that was apparently lost by accident you are obliged to report it one way or another.

The soda prize is different - the prize was not lost, it was purchased or given you to freely. Obviously the person who handed the bottle to you did not know it was worth a million dollars, but they may or may not have been aware of the contest/prize that was involved at the time.

Re: Ethical question: What would you do if...
 

I would stare at it in shock. That's it. Really. I have no bloody idea what I would do afterwards.

Re: Ethical question: What would you do if...
 

Buy a small Caribbean country.



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Re: Ethical question: What would you do if...
 

Well the $100 bill example was a little different, because it caused a loss of $100 to someone. So if I found one, I'd ask some people if they lost any money. If they answer that it was a $100 bill I'd give it back to them.

With the soda cap, nobody else knows (yet) that they could've gained a million.

Re: Ethical question: What would you do if...
 

If it was a meeting in the shop, where we buy our sodas, I would probably feel that the money was 100% mine, since I paid for it. If we were meeting at someone's house, I think I would probably split the money with the person who provided the sodas... but how would I really know what I would do unless I was really in that situation? What if the meeting was at the house of someone I didn't really know? Or someone who I didn't really care for? Would I react differently than I would if I got the soda from someone I really liked and/or respected? And would there be a difference on how I felt if the soda was provided by someone who was financially well off as opposed to someone who was struggling to make ends meet? Another factor would be how my family was doing... they've had some money issues lately, and since I went back to school, I haven't been able to help them out, but if I won a million bucks and they were getting desperate, I would probably want all of the money to help them... heck, even if they weren't getting desperate, I would probably take all of the money just to get them moved out of the crappy little neighborhood they live in... so there you have it... I would want to share the money with the person who gave me the soda, which is (I think) the more ethical thing to do, but my concern for my family would probably lead me a little astray...

Heidi

Re: Ethical question: What would you do if...
 

Scream/bounce ecstatically... then I don't know

Re: Ethical question: What would you do if...
 

This is a great question, the kind you can talk over with the family at dinner, or at the coffee shop with friends. It would make a great ice breaker at a team meeting with new kids, or as a team builder with the veteran students!

I like that there is really no wrong answer!

I think I would claim the prize first and then be very generous with the person that bought me the beverage in the first place. I know I would give a lot of it away - church, my favorite charities - and make some choices that could really make a difference in someone's life like scholarship donation that sort of thing. And pay for my kids education - well most of it since I feel they should help pay to understand the value of the education. And I'd take the family to DISNEY WORLD!

Re: Ethical question: What would you do if...
 

I'd go to a bank and get a safe deposit box and then call an accountant. After that I would call Coke to figure out how to get my money.

Wetzel

Re: Ethical question: What would you do if...
 

I think I connect with your answer the most. There are so many issues and potential problems with this type of situation.

I know of a family, the father was killed in a plane crash. The surviving wife and son received a little over a million dollars in the resulting lawsuit (this was quite a few years ago).

End of story, right? No. The man who died had several brothers and sisters, and they somehow got the impression that money should be shared with them, because they lost a brother.

But that money was all this young family would have to live on for the rest of the wife's life, and it would be the money that would fund the childs education. That extended family (brothers and sisters) was torn apart because they felt they were entitled to a good portion of the money.

So heres the thing, back to the bottle cap. If the other people in the room knew that you opened that bottle in their presence, depending on the circumstances they might feel they were entitled to part (or all) of the money. It could easily tear friends, co-workers and family apart forever.

Which is why I think this answer was the best. Dont say anything, turn in the cap and claim the prize for yourself, if anyone asks you bought it at a supermarket 5 days later...

and that way (if you pull off the stealth) you retain full control, you decide where the money should go, not someone else, not lawyers and a judge

and you have the best chance of keeping your relationship with those other people.

Thats my take.

BTW, a million dollars is not really a lot of money anymore. I have been an engineer for 22 years, and I have already earned over $1M in salary (dont ask me to explain where it all is now :^)

Re: Ethical question: What would you do if...
 

Maybe a million isn't enough to retire on at age 16, but I wouldn't mind taking a 20 year vacation.

Re: Ethical question: What would you do if...
 

...or give your annual income a nice little $10,000-every-year-for-a-century boost, and that's assuming you use the money as mattress stuffing. Invest wisely, and it still might not be enough to purchase Dave's wardrobe and have Dean's choice in automobiles...but it certainly wouldn't hurt. ;)

Re: Ethical question: What would you do if...
 

I was just thinking about something similar the other night. My friend's mom bought me a powerball lotto ticket for my 18th b-day. I was thinking if I won I'd give her a small portion of it, because my winnings were directly linked to her.

Re: Ethical question: What would you do if...
 

This might have been a good question with a poll of some type.
It seems for some it was very easy to claim the bottle cap and determine what to do with the monies involved.
For others, there was a struggle with sharing the bottle cap or not sharing the bottle cap - sharing the information freely or somewhat or not at all.
Maybe a decision can be based on taking the easy way so that relationships are not tested or strained.
Maybe a decision is not clear yet, trying to balance the situation based on one's perception of fairness.
Maybe a decision can be made without any thought given to correct ownership of the bottlecap, in that perception it is obvious.
Maybe a decision doesn't need to be made, the coke will not be selected.
Bottom line, everyone lives with the choice each makes regarding the bottle cap.