How much is a trillion dollars?

With the economic stimulus package estimated to cost around one trillion dollars, there have been numerous (and some humorous) ways to put that number in perspective. Here’s one that I particularly liked.

First – the math:

• 1 (one)
• 10 (ten)
• 100 (one hundred)
• 1,000 (one thousand)
• 10,000 (ten thousand)
• 100,000 (hundred thousand)
• 1,000,000 (one million)
• 10,000,000 (ten million)
• 100,000,000 (hundred million)
• 1,000,000,000 (one billion)
• 10,000,000,000 (ten billion)
• 100,000,000,000 (hundred billion)
• 1,000,000,000,000 (one trillion)

Now the analogy:

• If someone spent one million dollars per day each and every day since Jesus was born, it would take another 731 years (beyond today) before one trillion dollars was spent.
• $1,000,000,000,000 / $1,000,000 per day = one million days
• one million days / 365 = 2740 years
• 2740 – 2009 = 731 (years remaining)