Powerball: Who wants to be a billionaire?
It's the miracle of compound interest -- growing interest in Powerball, but no winners -- has pushed the jackpot to an all-time record, nearly $1.5 billion. The next chance to win is on Wednesday.
Playing a game you're likely to lose may sound counter productive, but even the slimmest of chances to become one of the wealthiest people in the world, has 2 million people per hour trying to cash in on a dream. And it had people all across the country contemplating what they would do with the money.
"I would probably save some for my family and then no one really needs that much money so there are a lot of good causes to share it with," said Ashley Chang.
Gambling may be legal in Nevada, but Powerball isn't. So thousands have traveled over the California border to buy tickets. Even Canadians are heading South to get in on the game.
The Powerball has also provided a business boom to convenience stores. Mukesh Sahi said his sales have tripled in the last two weeks.
"People buying sodas, smoke products, cigarettes, vaporizers," he said. "My sales are increasing day by day."
Attorney Michael Kosnitzky has been hired by a dozen lottery winners over the last decade. He said it's not only hard to win the money -- it's hard to keep it.
"I think the big mistake lottery winners make is they rush," he said.
How many of them are still millionaires?
"All of them," Kosnitzky said.
Studies show over 40 percent of lottery winners lose all their winnings within five years.
Kosnitzky recommends taking the projected lump payment of more than $860 million, hire an accountant, tax attorney, and financial advisor.
After all, they don't make a mattress big enough to hide this fortune under.