All this talk about “stimulus packages” and “bailouts” … But what does a trillion dollars look like? The graphical illustration below comes courtesy of PageTutor.
We’ll start with a $100 dollar bill. Currently the largest US denomination in general circulation. Most people have seen it, slighty fewer have owned it. Guaranteed to make friends wherever it goes.
A packet of one hundred $100 bills is less than 1/2″ thick and contains $10,000. Fits in your pocket easily and is more than enough for week or two of shamefully decadent fun.
Believe it or not, this next little pile is $1 million dollars (100 packets of $10,000). You could stuff that into a grocery bag and walk around with it.
While a measly $1 million looked a little unimpressive, $100 million is a little more respectable. It fits neatly on a standard pallet …
And $1 BILLION dollars … now we’re really getting somewhere …
Next we’ll look at ONE TRILLION dollars. This is that number we’ve been hearing so much about. What is a trillion dollars? Well, it’s a million million. It’s a thousand billion. It’s a one followed by 12 zeros.
Ladies and gentlemen … I give you $1 trillion dollars …
Notice those pallets are double stacked. … and remember those are $100 bills.
So the next time you hear someone toss around the phrase “trillion dollars”… that’s what they’re talking about.
