You will die at age 70, but in exchange you get £40,000 a year for the rest of your life. Do you take the offer?

38 comments

1. Yep, 40k a year for the next few decades sounds great. I have no kids and that’s enough money to cover my bills and travel occasionally. Plus I can’t see life after 70 being amazing.

2. Yeah, that seems fair. I wouldn’t have to work anymore. I’m working away years of my life anyway.

3. That’s about what I earn now, and I’m hoping I don’t make it to 70

4. Do I have to make it to 70?

5. Yes, I abhor the idea of ageing & wd rather die at 70

6. Hell no. That’s only around a million quid and I’ve got a shed load of jokes and wisdom to be dispensing to the grandkids and great grandkids if they ever happen. Same as being offered crazy money for a crazy commute, some things can’t be bought.

7. So I’d only live another 9 years? Doesn’t sound like a good deal.

   How old would you have to be before you didn’t take the offer?

8. Sure. My Health means that this is a double blessing. Promise that I live to 70 and a shit ton of extra money? Sold.

9. If it guaranteed good health until you die then possibly, but would mean a pay cut for me. Though call.

   Make it 75 and you’ve got a deal! 😉

10. Not worth it at all imo!

11. I dunno.

    The dread of knowing exactly when you are going to die is pretty intense. We all know we’re going to die at some point but the not knowing when is what makes it bareable.

    My parents are around that age. Completely with it, active and full of life. I can’t imagine them thinking “6 months to go” or “in a week I’m dead”. It’d be like the countdown to christmas.

    It would need to be a lot more than 40k for me. Enough that I could live such a ridiculously debauched life that I wouldn’t care what is happening when I hit 70.

12. No, it would be depressing to be counting down to day zero. I want to die quickly and unexpectedly.

13. Add a zero and I might be tempted. Im already earning more than that per year and my pension will continue to pay more than that after I retire.

    Ecen then I’m terrified of death and not sure I’d want to have a specific countdown that I know about.

14. Yeah, that gets my youngest kid to their 40s.

    Also I don’t think I’m gonna make 70 as is

15. Neither of my parents made it to 70 so that suggests it might be worth doing.

16. Sure, if I have a defined exit plan that’s better than most

17. I already get £40k a year and the retirement age is probably going to be at least 70 by the time I get there.

18. Tax free?
    Do I have to work for it?
    Is it linked to inflation?

19. This is basically saying: do you want 40k a year for life, and a guarantee you won’t die prematurely but won’t ever be so old you lose all quality of life?

    Sure! Sounds great

    Interested in the parameters though. Once I accept, can I basically throw all caution to the wind and do dangerous shit with my £40k a year because I’m immortal until 70?

20. The way I feel at the moment another 20 years would be a bonus! I’d still work for 3 years and save the 40,000. That would pay off the mortgage then I could retire for 17 years, do some fun stuff and watch my son grow up.

21. 40k a year and you don’t have to work? If yes 1 would 100% take there

22. Is it adjusted for inflation? That’ll be the price of a packet of crisps in 10 years at this rate.

23. Yes. Fuck living longer and you could live relatively comfortably.

24. absolutely. Having the certainty that you wont die before 70? getting 40k doing absolutely nothing? That’s amazing

25. Sign me up

26. I’d take it, even tho’ it’s only a little over 16 years, as I already live comfortably on a fraction of that, so could use some of it to make my early 20’s kids live’s easier now, rather than them having to wait ’til I pop my clogs when they can sell & divvy up my house.

    They both work fairly low-paid jobs, so being able to gift them say £10k a year would take the pressure off them, allowing them to afford holidays, buy a car, & not live pay-to-pay as they are now.

    Knowing you’re going at 70 also gives an end date to finalise my affairs, throw a final shindig, & wind up my wee business. Get rid of junk in the house that only means something to me, not my kids, thus leaving the house with minimal personal stuff.

27. No, that doesn’t even cover the school fees @ £90k.

28. No way. Both my parents and parents in law have hit their 70s and their lives look just fine to me; most of my family made it pretty sprightly into their 90s so sacrificing 20 good years for the sake of a salary I could easily earn seems daft to me.

29. I know this is in the spirit of fun but crunching the numbers (which, as I’m a nerd, I enjoy):
    – For a 20 year old, £40k a year cashflow for life is worth about £1million today over a lifetime of cashflow (when taking into account inflation) … or £590k as a lump sum today.
    – Let’s say you’d live to 85 otherwise… you’re essentially saying you’d sacrifice each year of life just for a £39k lump sum of value.
    – If you were 40, it’d be worth only £800k in terms of cash flows. **The older you are the worse this is, so it’s a fools game.**
    – **At the beginning**: Quality of life at £40k a year (similar to £50k pre-tax) is only top 15% of the country. It’s not a super luxurious lifestyle and you could only probably afford a ~£250k house which is less than the National average. Some areas you’d be alright but most you won’t. After all outgoings you’re probably looking at ~£1,750 a month “spare”. This will be great while you’re young… but you probably won’t have anybody to do things with. Once you have children, it wouldn’t go nearly as far.
    – After 20 years though, the 40k now is only worth £22k in todays money (i.e. buys you less as things get more expensive)… and you have to go back to work anyways but you’ve already lost those years. (After 40 years it’s only worth a bout £12.5k).

    That’s not really that great to cap your life and not see your grandkids grow up or enjoy the end of your life.

    I’m 27 and wouldn’t take this trade.

30. Are we allowed to die sooner in an accident?

31. Where do I sign up?

32. 100% health starts massively declining past 70 anyway plus I could retire right now and live off of 40k a year more than comfortably

33. Yes. But it’s not really to do with the money. Depending what age you are you’ll be lucky to reach that age anyway because of the damage we have done to the planet. We are only 15 to 20 years away from world food shortages, and I’m not sure I want to see what will happen then

34. Absolutely 100%

    I’ve never considered living that long anyway so total win-win for me!

35. Yeah. I think I’d rather not have to work and live a good healthy life, and then drop dead and be gone.

36. Absolutely fucking not

37. Nah. As light hearted as this post is supposed to be I’ve had later stage breast cancer and my risk of it reoccurring or going into secondaries in the next few years is high.

    I’d take time with my family … especially my young child… over any money in the world.

38. Certainly noy, I’m in my 70s