Cue an important life lesson: Discussing what you’d do with a vast hypothetical vat of cash can cause a steaming great marital row.

It’s well known that becoming insanely rich over night seldom ends well. Lottery winners in particular tend to do foolish things, like drowning in their champagne-filled infinity pool, or spending all their cash on small, rare dogs and their upkeep. But for the many millions of folks who play but never win the lottery, merely thrashing out how you and a significant other would divvy up the proceeds can be nearly as life ruinous.

My husband, it emerged, would keep the beneficiary pool small and tell virtually no one of our win. I, on the other hand, am a much more giving and inclusive imaginary billionaire. I’d like to think I’d spend my first mega-wealthy day writing hefty checks to everyone I know. I’d also buy an island, a Brooklyn brownstone, and pay for curry to be flown in daily from my favorite east London Pakistani restaurant.

My lofty spending plan he could almost handle. It was the length of the people-I’d-make-rich list that took our dispute from hearty bicker to vicious face-off.