All Right Everyone, Be Honest. Would You Take The Money?

Email Print posted by ihavenobias 02/26/2008 08:43:24 PM EST

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I assume most of you have watched the TYT segment about the guy who ended up with $2 million dollars in his bank account due to some type of mistake.

FYI, the segment is much longer than what is shown in the YouTube clip.

I have some thoughts on this issue and will say upfront that I would at least *consider* taking the money and would in fact spend it if I knew I would never be caught.

My guess is that a lot of people will climb up on their high horse and say that they would never even imagine spending a dollar of that money because it would be wrong (keep in mind of course that no *individual* will actually lose 2 million dollars because of this)

Fair enough, but IMO, a good number of people that will *claim* that would likely have a very different answer if they knew they would never get caught. It's EASY to say you wouldn't spend the money if deep down (or on the surface) you were terrified of getting in trouble for it.

This reminds me of Mark Twain's short story, The Man That Corrupted Hadleyburg. If you haven't read it (I love Mark Twain...also, you can read this story free online), I highly recommend it, *especially* if your answer to this question is flatly 'No(!), I would NEVER even consider taking a dollar of the money'.

PS---My favorite Twain story (my favorite short story ever actually) is The Mysterious Stranger.  Brilliant story that raises some awesome questions about the existence of God.
< Isikoff is full of it | "Owning" Martin Luther King's Dream? >

Poll

Would You Take The Money?
Yes, No Matter What 18%
Yes, But Only If I Knew 100% That I Would Never Be Caught 45%
No, It's Wrong, No Matter What 0%
No, But Only Because I Could Never Be Sure That I Wouldn't Be Caught 9%
Other (Please Comment) 27%

Votes: 11
Results | Other Polls
 Display:
All Right Everyone, Be Honest. Would You Take The Money? | 13 comments (13 topical, 0 hidden)
Depends (none / 0)
I'm a worrier and I would be sure that someday somehow I would be caught.  2 mill doesn't go missing without someone looking for it.

And it would depend on whose money it was.  Who would be hurt?  Does the bank just write it off or does somehow it wipe out the savings of someone.  Probably just the bank but I couldn't be sure of that either.

No, I'd return the money, act all moral and hope for some kind of reward.  Or at least a write up in the paper and everyone in town thinking I was a saint (instead of a paranoid worry wart).  :)

by blueheartinaredstate on 02/26/2008 08:51:41 PM EST

I love it. (none / 1)
You'll do the "right thing", but only because you'll look like a saint and get in the paper (and also hope for a reward).  That's the most honest answer for the "not taking it" argument.  I love it. 

by Spencer on 02/26/2008 08:55:57 PM EST

[ Parent ]
Well (none / 0)
if it's the bank money it won't hurt any one individual (aside from maybe the person who made the mistake, assuming it was a person and not a technical error).

That's the starting point for my question.

by ihavenobias on 02/26/2008 08:56:20 PM EST

[ Parent ]
I was thinking of making a thread on this. (none / 0)
Everyone in my office was saying how they would never take it.  Ha ha ha!  It's easy to say until your looking at two freaking million dollars.
I stand firm with the Jayar position.  I wait a month and if it doesn't move, it's mine.  But here's the twist, I give a substantial amount of it away (it only takes  a grand to dig a well in Africa for instance, and that's a lot of wells).  Not only is that a good thing to do because it's right and all that bullshit, but it also inoculates you from any real penalties if you do get caught.  How are they going to send me to jail for twenty five years when I saved countless lives in Africa with clean drinking water?  Not gonna happen.
That has to be the most leeeberal answer to the question.  Not only am I screwing over a bank, but I'm giving it to the poor Robin Hood style.

by Spencer on 02/26/2008 08:51:54 PM EST

Yeah, you'd have to wait (none / 0)
unless you fled the country ASAP.  I'm not sure how that stuff really works though.

How can you transfer or take out that much money without anyone noticing?  It's not like you can just go to the ATM, press Fast Cash and press the $2 million dollar button.

by ihavenobias on 02/26/2008 11:36:42 PM EST

[ Parent ]
practical concerns (none / 1)
"How can you transfer or take out that much money without anyone noticing?"

If I found two million in cash in a suitcase (like this guy) I would be tempted to keep it.
no country for old men
By comparison, If I found two million dollars in my bank account, I would return it, immediately.

I would rather fight this guy than bank accountants and IRS agents.
bardeem

by KenTX on 02/27/2008 05:41:52 AM EST

[ Parent ]
WTF? (none / 1)

 if I knew I would never be caught.

What kind of stupid fucking question is that? Geez get with the program son, this is the U.S. of Assets. No assets...no USe, get it?

 

by MRFred on 02/26/2008 09:09:32 PM EST

No. (none / 1)

It isn't mine.

by MedfordTim on 02/26/2008 11:58:44 PM EST

I set up an auto email (none / 0)
in case anyone responded that way.  You'll be recieving this link shortly.  :)

by ihavenobias on 02/27/2008 12:01:02 AM EST

[ Parent ]
I'm weird that way (none / 0)

I have no doubt that I am corruptable - but "found money" doesn't fall into that category. I have had this particular temptation before me many times in my life, albeit in tiny amounts. If I get too much change in a transaction, I point it out and return it.

Reactions are about 50-50 between gratitude and incredulousness, btw...

by MedfordTim on 02/27/2008 09:35:05 AM EST

[ Parent ]
It's an easy answer really (none / 1)

You would be really foolish to spend it in this circumstance.  Just because a mistake is made does not mean it's your money, and I'm not speaking about it morally, I'm talking legally.  They would never stop looking for a $2 million dollar discrepancy, and once they found where it went it would be your A$$ if you spent it.  So I wouldn't spend it given that scenario.

Morally speaking, if it legitimately belonged to a person or persons and they simply lost it by leaving it somewhere I couldn't keep it, no way.  I admit that a person would have to be spectacularly stupid to be so careless with that kind of money, but even so I'd never consider keeping it if it meant depriving someone of their rightful property.  I'd never deliver it to a third party under any circumstances though, it would have to go back directly to the proven owner.  I would do the same with $10 or $1,000,000, it doesn't matter.

by bfaul on 02/27/2008 12:11:33 PM EST

I'd donate it to TYT (none / 1)
After spending a little of it to cover my paper trail.

SAM: What's new, Normie?
NORM: Terrorists, Sam. They've taken over my stomach and they're demanding beer.

by Spinny on 02/27/2008 01:36:43 PM EST

Sweet Sweet Interest! (none / 1)
I would quietly transfer it to a high yeild money market account and spend the interest (which would be ~$100k/year at 5%) without reservations.  If anyone ever came looking for the money I'd still have it nice and safe to turn over to them. 

by alphasigmookie on 02/27/2008 08:06:55 PM EST

All Right Everyone, Be Honest. Would You Take The Money? | 13 comments (13 topical, 0 hidden)
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