The largest Powerball jackpot ever is approaching $1 billion and people are dreaming big about what to do with that much money. Watch video
Yes, that's billion -- with a B.
The largest Powerball jackpot ever is approaching $1 billion and people are dreaming big about what to do with that much money.
Second - and third - homes, luxury sports cars and retirement travel are some of the top ways Powerball players in New Jersey said on Saturday they'd spend some of the windfall if they're lucky enough to hit the big prize.
The jackpot, the largest in the game's history, was worth $900 million on Saturday afternoon, just half a day from the much-anticipated 11 p.m. drawing.
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The jackpot has rolled over 18 times since a $144.1 million ticket was sold in Tennessee for the Nov. 4 drawing. The next drawing on Dec. 7 offered a top prize of $40 million.
At the 7-Eleven off Route 1 in Woodbridge, Alisa Tenreiro, 47, from Fords, said she'd put the money toward her nieces' passion for horses.
"I would buy four of the most gorgeous horses - I'm talking Arabian Stallions - for my nieces. They love horses," Tenreiro said. "I would get a place to keep them and people to take care of them."
Patty Antzes, 60, of East Brunswick said she'd get a rather large home out of state.
"I want a mansion in Newport, R.I. right on the beach over the cliffs. I was there three months ago and saw a for-sale sign and looked it up. It's $21 million," she said.
Kim Schmalenberger, 50, of the Iselin section of Woodbridge, said she'd buy two houses on Green Street in town but also had a couple of other things in mind.
"Start a foundation for special needs children and buy my 16-year-old son a Lamborghini," she said.
Frank Hasenauer, 29, also of Iselin, said he'd spend it on himself and his mother and give up his job as a teacher.
"Buy my mom a log cabin in the mountains and a townhouse in Miami," he said. "Plus, I'd retire this year."
Craig Landers, 61, another Iselin resident, said he'd spend his cash to see more of his favorite football team.
"I'd buy a skybox with the Dallas Cowboys at the stadium, a plane to go to the games and a house over there to stay in," he said.
In downtown Ridgewood, Brendan Corcoran, 38, said he'd be fine with some houses.
"Probably just a couple big houses. A big ski house in the mountains and a big house on the beach," he said. "Probably too practical, but it puts some money into real estate, but also just to have somewhere to go to bounce around with newfound freedom."
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Mike Evans, 58, Hawthorne, wants his space.
"Not so much crazy, but I think I'd buy a big parcel of land where the cattle outnumber the people... It's too crazy here (in New Jersey). It really is," he said, while standing on quiet street in Hawthorne.
Sharon Toth, 55, Elmwood Park, said she'd quit renting a vacation home for her family and buy one, instead.
"The craziest thing I would buy would probably be a vacation home in North Carolina," Toth said. "We vacation there with my family and there's like 20-plus of us, so to get a nice one on the ocean would be the craziest thing."
Matthew Foster, 11, of Fair Lawn, said he'd like a big house, but there's one catch - it should have an amusement park.
"Well, I would buy a giant house... and I would live in like a different country on an island," he said, adding that the house should be on the same property as a Six Flags amusement park.
Vincent Virga, 49, Bayonne, dreamed big.
"The craziest thing I think we would buy would have to be an island in the Caribbean, or you know, a fleet of convertible Ferraris," he said.
But as the owner of PFS Management Group, he also offered some advice for the person who does win:
Keep the winning a secret and get to a financial advisor and a qualified tax law specialist immediately.
And beware of all the friends, relatives and scammers who will be looking for a cut.
"Family (and) friends will come out of the woodwork looking for you. With a number like this, quite frankly, it's amazing what it'll do," Virga said. "It can be overwhelming and they can do some irrational things. You've got to take fear and greed and emotion out of the equation."
Powerball is played in 44 states, Washington D.C., Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
NJ Advance Media staffer MaryAnn Spoto contributed to this report.
Laura Herzog may be reached at lherzog@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @LauraHerzogL.