Market Folly - Latest Comments in What One Trillion Dollars Looks Like

Re: What One Trillion Dollars Looks Like

Oh Joy — Tue, 14 Apr 2009 12:17:11 -0000

It's Actually Twice That?

Follow the links to his methodology...I think he made a mistake.

Look at the graphic: 50 wide * 50 deep * 2 layers is 5,000...not 10,000.

His error was that he said 50 wide * 2 layers = 100, then that 50 wide @ 2 layers square must be 100 * 100 = 10,000.

Four layers of (50 * 50 = 2500) equals 10,000 pallets.

Think of it in smaller numbers:
5 boxes wide times 5 boxes deep is 25 boxes, and two layers of that is 50 boxes. His error was like saying that since there are 10 boxes on each side, there must be 10 * 10 = 100 boxes.

Any other thoughts?

Re: What One Trillion Dollars Looks Like

Giovanni-101890 — Sat, 14 Mar 2009 22:51:18 -0000

Business DBH. Compensator

Re: What One Trillion Dollars Looks Like

Mike — Sat, 14 Mar 2009 02:44:23 -0000

Jim - recheck your math. You meant "...if you repaid a $1 million debt at the rate of $1 per SECOND, it would take about 11 1/2 days"... everything else would then be true. Good illustration, though.

Re: What One Trillion Dollars Looks Like

PJ — Fri, 13 Mar 2009 15:35:35 -0000

Note, too, that the pallet is actually a pallet of packets of $100 bills. Not singles.

Re: What One Trillion Dollars Looks Like

marketfolly — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 13:30:11 -0000

wow sobering statistics for sure. thanks for that.

Re: What One Trillion Dollars Looks Like

Jim — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 10:37:26 -0000

To borrow an illustration from the book FairTax:The truth - if you repaid a $1 million debt at the rate of $1 per minute, it would take about 11 1/2 days; for a billion dollars it would take 32 years; for a trillion dollars, 32,000 years. Let your children and grandchildren know that's what's in store for them.