As a social experiment I once asked random people on the street what they would do if they won $10 million. One earnest woman said she would buy a new computer. A young man indicated he would pay off his student loan.
While I had been specific about “$10 million,” it soon became clear that what most people were able to process from my question was “a lot of money.” Moreover, they related the query to their own immediate needs. I imagine if I had asked the same question of a homeless person he might have said, “a warm blanket.” On the other hand, someone like, say, Jeff Bezos would presumably have a different perspective, maybe selecting a new satellite TV system for a favorite yacht.
So, Mike Trout, pray tell: Now that your contract extension with the Los Angles Angels has made you the highest paid baseball player in history, what are you going to do with $426 million? And you, lowly player in baseball’s vast minor-league system: What are you going to do with the $60 raise that just brought your monthly pay to $1,160?
