Daily Grand: $1,000 a Day for Life or the $7 Million Lump Sum?
The Daily Grand top prize pays $1,000 every day for life ($365,000 a year, tax-free) or a one-time $7,000,000 lump sum. The annuity overtakes the lump sum after about 19.2 years in raw dollars — so the younger the winner, the stronger the case for the annuity, before considering investment returns on the lump sum.
Try it: how long would the annuity need to beat $7M?
Simplified comparison for general information — it ignores inflation and assumes the annuity payments are spent, not invested. Both options are tax-free in Canada, but investment income earned afterwards is taxable. Winners should get independent financial advice before choosing.
How the two options compare
| $1,000/day for life | $7M lump sum | |
|---|---|---|
| Per year | $365,000 (guaranteed min. 20 years) | — |
| After 10 years | $3,650,000 | $7,000,000 (+ any investment growth) |
| After 20 years | $7,300,000 | $7,000,000 (+ growth) |
| After 40 years | $14,600,000 | $7,000,000 (+ growth) |
| Taxes | Prize itself tax-free; later investment income taxable | |
The second Daily Grand prize works the same way: $25,000 a year for life or a $500,000 lump sum. See the latest Daily Grand results.