Eco friendly choices for Lottery Winners
Let’s imagine you’re an eco-warrior, a green ally - and you’ve just won millions upon millions of dollars. Let’s imagine you just got back from a celebration worthy of a lottery winner like some of our suggestions here...
Just like most people who’d won a lottery, you might be looking for a few pricey new toys but you’d still like to be nice to the environment (after all, you live in it). Well, we’ve put together a few gorgeously green alternatives instead of the other less than thoughtful options.
Aspark Owl - $3.5 million
We’ll start you off with a new set of wheels that doesn't hurt the environment and will still drop the jaws of even the most ardent petrol-heads. The Aspark Owl is currently the world’s most expensive, electric hyper-car. With a top speed of 249 mph and despite the comparatively low price tag (when compared to other hypercars), you’ll be able to proudly boast that it's one out of only 50 that will ever be made. So you’re unlikely to encounter one of its siblings at the traffic lights but you’ll probably be one of the fastest and definitely the greenest.
Charlotte of the Upper West Side, Manhattan - $11 Million
With millions at your disposal, features in home-purchases like a pool, a sprawling garden, spa facilities and a massively large garage are all the classic hallmarks of luxury. However, we don’t often think about how these big homes have a carbon footprint; you only notice when the electricity bill comes and your quest for the perfect living temperature also comes with a fat cost! But what if you want an environmentally conscious home as well as a luxurious one?
For the price of around $11 million dollars, you can get yourself a whole floor of a much sought after building in one of Manhattan’s most exclusive neighbourhoods. This state of the art building is fitted with energy efficient features that make it 90% more efficient at heating or cooling when compared to typical properties. These incredible apartments were envisioned and constructed by award winning designers and architects to truly create a one of a kind luxury apartment building that seamlessly blends with the surrounding neighbourhood while achieving the highest standards of energy efficiency.
As Mr Sinatra once said, “If I can make it here, I’ll make it anywhere” - and if you’ve bought one of these costly cosmopolitan cribs, then you’ve certainly made it!
Oceanco Black Pearl - $200 Million
Dubbed as the most sustainable gigayacht in the world, the Oceano Black Pearl (not the one from the Caribbean) is equally stunning as it is environmentally conscious. With 3 massive carbon fibre masts, black sails and a matching black hull, it's not so subtle presence forces one to imagine that the designer sought inspiration from a pirate, a race car driver and a 13 year old boy’s ideas on what’s cool!
Despite its unorthodox style however, this massive gigayacht can sail the entire atlantic ocean on nothing but renewable energy while keeping the passengers in 1st class luxury comparable to that of a five star hotel. Featuring a multi level atrium, a spa, a cinema, a gym and a beach club. If the $200 million production bill doesn’t give you chest pains, you can probably handle the $15-20 million annual maintenance cost….. And you’ll also be one of, if not the greenest yachts in your corner of the world.
Pipistrel Velis Electro - $140,000
We sometimes see or hear news about some new electric prototype aeroplane that's about to make its maiden flight, only to then shrink quietly back into the shadows. Many have been calling for more electric aeroplanes and many innovative companies have been hard at work to develop them. Up until fairly recently, the most that has been possible has been around converting small existing prop-planes to fully electric engines and there has been some success. Planes like a de Havilland DHC-6 twin prop or the Dornier 228 have had their combustion engines replaced for electric ones at the expense of flight duration, so if you already have one of these, you can get it converted to be completely green.
If, however, you’re looking for a plane that has been developed and produced with an electric engine then look no further than the Slovenian company Pipistrel. Their Velis Electro model is a fully electric training plane that has space for 2 (incl. pilot) with a capability to fly within a 140 Kilometre range. You won’t be crossing any oceans in it, but it is absolutely perfect for short hops with a partner or a friend looking for a fun adventure. What’s amazing is that it only takes about 2 hours to charge and has a fuel cost that operates at one tenth of the cost that traditional fuel burning planes use.
A taste of the future - Alef Automotive’s Model A (a flying car!) $300,000
When you love your eco-friendly car but traffic is a constant nightmare and the commute can only be described as “ghastly”, you might be left thinking how silly it is that despite how many millions there are in your bank account, you still can’t get the traffic to move. We’ve all wistfully wondered, “oh what if I could just fly over them all…” Well, if you could afford it, that might be closer than you think.
In July 2023 Alef Automotive was given further permission by the FAA to continue testing their “Flying Car”. Alef says that they are pushing to have the Model A commercially available by the end of 2025. No need to worry about take off distance and having enough space, the Model A is a VTOL (vertical takeoff or landing) so it’s even easier to fly and use (just make sure you roll it out of the garage first).
So it's very clear, you can be as green as a dollar bill! More and more luxury brands are switching their methods of production to help play their part in bringing down their environmental impact. And If anyone thinks you’re a little crazy for going ahead with one of the above, show them this article here on some of the craziest things people have done with their lottery winnings - it’ll be enough, trust us. If you want to try your luck in a lottery, then you can place your bets for some of the biggest lotteries from around the world below.
