Comments on: Giving Up a Childhood Fantasy Because You Do Not Want to Sink Into Debt

By: Henry

Henry — Sat, 10 Feb 2007 19:30:41 +0000

What do you know. A firm wanting to jump into the biz stepped up and hired him as a consultant. When they go up he’ll be a “test passenger.”

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/bizarre/4533405.html

By: DBlog

DBlog — Sat, 03 Feb 2007 23:59:25 +0000

Yep: I would have passed on that prize as well, and the decision would not have been a hard one. The way I see it, it shouldn’t be called a “prize” since the tax bill would be $25K. In America, the only prizes that count these days are cold-hard-cash prizes.

By: Lisa Knight

Lisa Knight — Sat, 03 Feb 2007 14:25:44 +0000

I would have gone for it, then found a way to turn it into profit later.

I don’t think that at the end of his life with a grandkid on his knee he will feel he made the right decision… Sometimes, once in a lifetime is worth the risk.

By: Kimberly

Kimberly — Wed, 31 Jan 2007 18:20:53 +0000

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By: ROB

ROB — Wed, 31 Jan 2007 17:56:28 +0000

HE MESSED UP!!
I would have took a camera that shoots video and stills and I would have documented every thing that happen.
Then I would have written a book and made a documentary to pay off the debt.
He could have sold his story for at least $25,000.
I mean, Tobey McQuire just bought the rights to the guy who auctioned off his soul for millions.

By: Tricia

Tricia — Wed, 31 Jan 2007 03:29:37 +0000

It is a tough choice, especially since he probably will never have the chance again. I was thinking about it some more, and I wonder if there’s more to the story (there usually is).

I still don’t think I could have turned it down.

By: Jade

Jade — Tue, 30 Jan 2007 23:46:55 +0000

Wow! That really sucks that he would have had to foot that tax bil for winning a “prize”. What a hard choice to make! I don’t know what I would have done. I’m not too much into space shuttles & the like, but if it had been something that really was a childhood dream to me? I really don’t know

So much for a “prize” though!

By: Amy K.

Amy K. — Tue, 30 Jan 2007 15:49:46 +0000

Wow, what a tough decision!

I have to admit, I’ve been tempted to enter the HGTV Dream home giveaway, but once I realized how $$ the property taxes would be, and that the income tax on the value of the home would be equivalent to my current mortgage, plus I’d have to find a new job… Oy! Once I realized that, I stopped entering the contests with big ticket prizes, because I’d hate to be in Brian’s shoes.

By: Matt

Matt — Tue, 30 Jan 2007 13:43:26 +0000

I would have found a way to make it work… somehow and then I’d make sure that I had a digital camera ready to go trigger happy up there!!

Kudos to him, I would have had a difficult time turning it down.

By: Amanda

Amanda — Tue, 30 Jan 2007 04:21:04 +0000

I would have passed it up. It’s not really a prize if it costs you $25K, you know?

By: James

James — Tue, 30 Jan 2007 01:22:59 +0000

Supposedly being in space is a life changing experience, I would have paid the 25,000.

Best,

James

By: Jim

Jim — Mon, 29 Jan 2007 19:21:00 +0000

I think he made the wrong choice. He’s only 31 and will most likely work for another 30 years. A $25k tax bill is a pittance for the opportunity of a lifetime to ride on the Space Shuttle, especially if that really is his childhood dream.

By: 3 things about money

3 things about money — Mon, 29 Jan 2007 17:20:14 +0000

I was so impressed when I read that — an inspiration to say the least. It seems mean to give him the prize and not funds to cover the tax hit. But whatever, he made the right choice.

By: Ralph

Ralph — Mon, 29 Jan 2007 16:17:28 +0000

I wouldn’t have minded accepting the $25,000 debt to achieve my childhood dream – after all, assuming you’re going to accumulate more than $25,000 of “spending money” to enjoy yourself with at some stage of your life, you’ve got to be willing and able to grab “once in a lifetime” opportunities that come your way.

However, I wouldn’t have wanted to pay even $25K for a couple of minutes weightlessness in one of these ballistic hops. Apart from the bragging rights of being able to say that you’ve “been there, done that” I don’t think the experience would be that much better than just watching a space shuttle movie at the Imax theatre.

I think I’ll wait and see what’s available in 20 years time…