Much along the same lines as you
- house or apartment
- pay off debts
- help a couple of friends with financial difficulties
- maybe instead of investing buy a couple/few apartments that I'd rent
to people, preferrably with pets...

1) Pay off debts (including the house)
2) Give a bunch to family
3) Give a bunch to animal charities
4) Invest some
5) Quit my job! Actually, that's probably the first thing I'd do.

Build a no kill cat shelter.

I would do almost exactly as you.  Pay off the debts, get a new place.  I
don't need a car in NYC.  Invest the rest, and travel.

With $10,000,000?  I'd pay off our bills, pay off the mortgage and attempt
to sell the house, pay off and sell the Pathfinder (although it's really
comfortable on a long trip), purchase a new house in a better neighborhood
(I'd like A/C, heat, 3 bedrooms, *2* bathrooms, a washer & dryer *and* a
dishwasher), buy a new vehicle - truck, SUV, I don't care because I know my
husband is still going to want to work - and I'd invest.  I'd also eat
really well.  No more top ramen!  I'd make glorious, fabulous, gourmet meals
because I love to cook, I just can never afford to make anything decent
anymore.  My animals would always be in Frontline/Advantage and I'd rest
easy.  Oh, and my genealogy subscription would never expire.  :~)

kili

\Pay off the house and van, pay off all debts, stick a bunch into IRAs or
other savings plans, donate a bunch to a couple of no kill animal shelters,
and set up a fund to help those who need the assistance.

Pam S.

Simple  take 3 million place in high interest savings account under a
charity corporation that I would have the lawyers start

than take 2 million and place under an corporation with me as president  all
of this so no b@tch or POS could come along an sue and take everything from
me again

of course pay off any debts that I may have

help any of my firends here on the RPCA that needed help

make sure nice house; very cat friendly , nice cars with a budget that I
could live on off the interest from the corporation account

make sure accounts were setup to  take care of me, my mother and
incorporation to take care of my furballs if anything happened to us so they
would be taken care of till they crossed the rainbow bridge

Stash one million in bonds and high mutual accounts that would mature in 20
years earning  5 times there value* back up plan *

take 20 % of the left over have fun with whatever and whoever

that leaves me 3 million to help the shelters and start my own rescue
center.  the center would be supported by the interest off the charity
corporation making it tax deductible and profit free  earning more tax
credits to help the shelter keeping the center up to date and well cared
for.

Out of the 3 million make sure to help any shelter and person that needs vet
care for their animals

Simple plan

I don't know. 1 million would be easier to decide, actually.

Pay off house (maybe buy a house with a bit more space & and more back
yard), invest enough so that we'll always be comfortable, go to work 4 days
a week instead of 5, do a world "RPCA" trip, send my mother to Antartica
(something she's always wanted to do)

With the remaining 8.5 million, it would have to go to something charitable,
and thats the harder part. 8.5 million won't do it. 8.5 *billion* won't do
it. So, how do I decide who is worthy, and who remains to suffer and starve?
Shoudl it go to medical research to help the likes of Siobhan?Or should it
go to people who just don't have enough food or sanitation? Or war orphans?
Or AIDS victims? or even the poor, sick and destitute here in Australia?
Where will it do *the most good*?

Hard question, Jill.

Yowie

Hmmm, can't even think that big.  I would pay off debts, buy some ground and
build the log house I have always wanted, hire someone else to clean it.
Before
Son has anymore cat scans or MRI's take him and his family on a trip he has
always wanted.  Build the green house I also want.  Make the house cat
friendly and let some more critters adopt me.One where plants to be given
away to those who would care for them.

Let someone with more knowledge than I invest most of the rest.  Help my
daughter and her family.  Lord, I don't know, can't think that big.

Would bring Yowie here but make her leave the kipper at home!!!

Quit my job, but continue doing freelance translations occasionally.

Buy a big house on the coast or on an island, where I could have lots of
cats. Have it fitted with all sorts of cat furniture, like catwalks
under the ceiling and cat trees and climbing panels. I'd ask Mum to live
there if she wanted to, or buy her a place of her own (her flat is
falling apart from water damage and the house association is taking its
sweet time to fix it).

Or even better, find a suitable lot (on the coast or on an island - must
be near the sea) and build a spiffy new house with special care for the
environment, like solar panels and geothermal pumps etc.

Help friends and family.

Donate more to shelters than I do now.

Throw a big rpca party with all expenses paid for anyone who wants to
attend.

I wouldn't quit my job but I'd have a whole lot of fun getting sacked!

Buy somewhere  bigger to live so I could have more cats.
Pay off my brothers mortgage, some friends debts
Give the local cat shelter money to buy a much bigger place, which they;re
trying to do

Lesley

Slave of the Fabulous Furballs

become a conspicuous consumer, letting others do work for me I hate to do,
whilst I sit around with DH all day thinking of new and exciting things to
do together, Lee

I would give up my job so I can stay home with my cats and chickens (and
duck) first of all.
I would pay off my brothers' mortgages.
I would set up a fund to see my nephews and niece through university when
they are old enough.
I would get central heating.
I would invest to give me a very good income until I am 100 (just in case..)
I don't have any debts to pay off, so the rest would go into a fund to use
the interest to give some of my favourite charities a monthly income.

Tweed

I have mentioned before this that I posess almost no imagination and
therefore can
not deal with sudden cash inflow of more than the USA "stimulus"
payment, which
appears to be as they say, "something for nothing".....which I don't
believe in. I don't
gamble, ever, for this reason and when we lived in CA on trips we made
to Reno
(Vegas was too long a haul, we were in Bay Area) while my pals and
relatives were
at the slots or whatever I rode bus out to the 'burbs and explored
their thrift stores.
Closer to the casino we were staying at, I explored their pawn shops.
Lots of tools
and jewelry in those, LOL. Sorry, I know you don't like this, but what
you got here
is an unbeliever. And BTW I will believe in the stimulus thing when
the check is in
my hand, not in the mail, LOL.....
I do admire the ambition to help shelters and cat care facilities if
and when....