When I cashed in the winning ticket I knew exactly what I was going to do. First of all, I had to keep my newfound riches a secret. That meant no paper trail or banks.

So I tried Bitcoin- a modest investment. I financed some worthy causes like water treatment in Africa,

Animal rescues, and struggling small businesses’ ‘legal fees. But I still had quite a bit of cash, which I kept in a lockbox.

I only spent it in small bills. I had some expenses I paid a little at a time. Quite a few times I would only carry a dollar or two when I went out in case I got mugged or something.

I also kept a low profile. I refused to post anything on social media. I ditched my contract phone for a burner and subscribed to a VPN. I chose anonymity for any donations and never took credit for any good deed connected to those donations.

Then I had a brilliant idea. I would bury the rest of the cash in my yard, but the exact location would only be discovered by solving a complex code.

After years of keeping my secret, I took the code and it’s solution and sent it to my best friend Melinda. I had incurable cancer and wouldn’t live much longer. I wanted her to have it so she could start a new life.