How much $ is enough. ?

Interesting question. I have always thought $4 mil would be enough but I would prefer $10. I figure with 10 after purchasing a comfortable house (maybe $300,000) and 3 college funds we could life off the interest on what is left and would still allow us to have some fun (trips, golf, movies, etc.)

If I could stop working I would.

I can't answer that.  Who knows what medical crisis awaits.  So forth.

But if I had guaranteed "more than enough" I'd be one generous SOB with both my time and my money.  Golf in the mornings; charity work in the afternoons; wine, women and song in the evenings.

Lump sum for sure if that's on offer.  *fudge* work.

Werd.

Without waiting for the answer ...

Lump sum would have to be large.  Very large.

Annual salary would have to be large.  Very large.  (Even assuming good health, etc., 'til retirement.)


Honestly, I can't see a number that I'd call "enough".  The more I make, the more I can do with it.  Be more secure about my retirement.  Fund a scholarship at my alma mater.  Assure my elderly, fixed-income parents are taken care of.  Same for my wife's parents.  Same for my siblings and their spawn.  Same for my wife's sibling and spawn.  Donate to worthwhile charities and organizations.  Start a soup kitchen.  Buy a ratty building in a city and convert it to a shelter and help center for the homeless.  Give $32 million to the Virginia ICIC.  Fund some promising research into alternative energy sources.  The list is endless.

I look at it as what would get you and your immediate family by. Forget charity or alma mater or inner city kids.

I'm greedy, it's my money. Everyone else can *fudge* off. Besides it's completely hypothetical anyway.

In that case, Mr. Gekko:

I can't think of a number that I'd call "enough".  I can't predict the market for the next thirty years, so anything I invest isn't secure.  I want to be comfortable, now and in retirement, and I want my offspring to be comfortable.

I think birdymaker's logic makes sense. 

Take your max income potential and multiple by number of years expected to work.  Since you can't really expect more than that then why not take it?  Obviously, insurance and market volatility are concerns so perhaps you might bump it a notch or two.

I can't make more than I'm making right now working for someone.  And I'm not inclined to start over with the entrepreneurship thing. 

I'm assuming the rules don't preclude me taking the lump sum and working to some extent anyway?  I'd probably keep my hand in the game just to keep my mind from seizing up and maybe keep the insurance rolling.  Golf and beer money really though; that's about it.  Purely optional.

Keep in mind the offer allows me to cut 20 years off my working life.  That's worth something (a lot!!!) and I'd give it some serious weight.

Let's call it $2.5-3 million.  To be honest though, if you were to show up with $1.5 million tomorrow I'd jump at it.