Wednesday, March 18, 2009

What does One Trillion Dollars look like?

We for several months have heard figures such as 700 Billion, 900 Billion, Now add it up - - - > 8.5 Trillion... That is how much capitol has been injected into the US economy since September 2008. Like Glenn Beck [1] said when this number was 1.4 Trillion... "This has never been done before..." [1]

As I type this entry, it is being reported that this number increased yet another 1 Trillion [2]. More securities exchanging hands. The vault has not been tapped of it's 800 Billion yet and we shall see double digit inflation in gas and everything in around a year or two. [2]

Below was in an email to me today. I find it extremely interesting...

What is exactly is one TRILLION dollars? All this talk about "stimulus packages" and "bailouts"... A billion dollars... hundred billion dollars... Eight hundred billion dollars... One TRILLION dollars... What does that look like? We'll start with a $100 dollar bill. Currently the largest U.S. denomination in general circulation. Most everyone has seen them, slightly fewer have owned them. Guaranteed to make friends wherever they go.


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 about so much. What is a trillion dollars? Well, it's a million million. It's a thousand billion. It's a one followed by 12 zeros.

You ready for this?

It's pretty surprising.

Go ahead...

Scroll down...

Ladies and gentlemen... I give you $1 trillion dollars...


(And notice those pallets are double stacked.)

So the next time you hear someone toss around the phrase "trillion dollars"... that's what they're talking about.