• News
    • Tech News
    • AI
  • Gadgets
    • Apple
    • iPhone
  • Gaming
    • Playstation
    • Xbox
  • Science
    • News
    • Space
  • Streaming
    • Netflix
  • Vehicles
    • Car News
  • Social Media
    • WhatsApp
    • YouTube
  • Advertise
  • Terms
  • Privacy & Cookies
  • LADbible Group
  • LADbible
  • UNILAD
  • SPORTbible
  • GAMINGbible
  • Tyla
  • FOODbible
  • License Our Content
  • About Us & Contact
  • Jobs
  • Latest
  • Topics A-Z
  • Authors
Facebook
Instagram
X
TikTok
Snapchat
WhatsApp
Submit Your Content
Man drives the length of $1,000,000,000 to demonstrate the shocking difference between $1m and $1b

Home> Social Media> YouTube

Updated 16:47 5 Dec 2024 GMTPublished 16:48 5 Dec 2024 GMT

Man drives the length of $1,000,000,000 to demonstrate the shocking difference between $1m and $1b

Turns out $1 billion is really a lot of money

Harry Boulton

Harry Boulton

One YouTuber has gone to the effort of showing the quantifiable difference between $1 million and $1 billion, and it's shocking how much larger it is than you might have initially thought.

Money is one of the hardest things to really grasp for the average person, as beyond a certain point it reaches diminishing returns where, while the actual difference remains significant, it's simply perceived as 'a lot of money'.

Many have made the mistake of thinking that one million and one billion are a lot closer than they actually are, as while a simple three extra zeroes doesn't seem too much in principle, it actually makes a shocking difference.

Advert

YouTuber Tom Scott is well known for his fascinating experiments and tests, having previously sent garlic bread to space and tested what your toaster dial actually does, but one of his most fascinating videos shows the disparity between driving the distance of $1 million and $1 billion.

Unlike other experiments that visualize the comparison between the two figures in volume, Scott instead proposes that it's better understood in a linear, one-dimensional fashion, which in this case is pure distance.

He has not gone as far to lay each dollar bill out flat, and instead treats it like a stack of cash that is laid sideways on the ground instead of stretching up into the sky - with each dollar roughly equivalent to 0.1093mm.

Advert

To accurately measure the distance he attached a GPS tracker to a GoPro camera, and set off on a drive until he reached the one billion target.

You might be thinking - what about the $1 million distance? That was so short that it was complete by the time that Scott had walked across the parking lot to his car, and took a measly 1 minute and 25 seconds.

To reach $1 billion in distance though? That shockingly took 1 hour, 15 minutes, and 5 seconds.

While you might think that it's not that much longer, it still managed to be 53 times longer, and the $1 million distance was exclusively on foot compared to the entirety of $1 billion being in a car, often on fast roads.

Advert

Turns out $1 billion really is a lot of money (Costfoto/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
Turns out $1 billion really is a lot of money (Costfoto/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

Thankfully Scott recorded the entire journey to give a true sense of how much longer it takes, and it might actually be quite a relaxing watch to sit down and enjoy the ride.

If you need another means of understanding how much bigger a billion is compared to a million, 1 million seconds would only last for around 11.5 days. Comparatively, waiting 1 billion seconds would take 11,574 days, which is around 31.7 years.

It's definitely something to take into consideration next time you're thinking about billionaires and the richest people in the world, as they really hold a wealth that is far beyond what we could even begin to consider.

Featured Image Credit: Tom Scott/YouTube / DNY59/Getty
Youtube
Money

Advert

Advert

Advert

Choose your content:

2 days ago
3 days ago
  • NurPhoto / Contributor via GettyNurPhoto / Contributor via Getty
    2 days ago

    Elon Musk brands world-famous author a 'liar' over Charlie Kirk claims

    It isn't the first time the pair have beefed on social media

    Social Media
  • The Salt Lake Tribune / Contributor / GettyThe Salt Lake Tribune / Contributor / Getty
    3 days ago

    Man shocked as daughter informs him he's gone viral as 'Charlie Kirk shooter'

    Wrong place, right time

    Social Media
  • The Salt Lake Tribune / Contributor / GettyThe Salt Lake Tribune / Contributor / Getty
    3 days ago

    Viral footage shows moment man is arrested over Charlie Kirk shooting as panic continues

    A worrying case of mistaken identity

    Social Media
  • DisneyDisney
    3 days ago

    Call for major Marvel star to be fired over Charlie Kirk posts following assassination

    'We need God’s grace. God help us'

    Social Media
  • MrBeast set to follow in footsteps of A list celeb with huge venture away from YouTube
  • Terrifying simulation shows drastic difference between hurricane categories and the damage they cause to homes
  • iPhone users finally understand the difference between 'Do Not Disturb' and 'Silent Mode'
  • Shocking amount of money Jake Paul and Mike Tyson are set to make from historic fight