# What could you do with a trillion dollars that you could NOT do with a billion dollars? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [August 18, 2012, 6:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-could-you-do-with-a-trillion-dollars-that-you-could-not-do-with-a-billion-dollars/631856 "2012-08-18T06:25:31Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2012, 3:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-could-you-do-with-a-trillion-dollars-that-you-could-not-do-with-a-billion-dollars/631856/21 "2012-08-18T15:59:41Z")
After establishing myself someplace else, I’d start offering bounties on heads. $1 million for the head of the person who owns “Card Services,” for example. Offer The Ukraine a billion to execute all the virus writers and shut down the servers they use. Declare international war on scammers. I could probably also outfit a couple of fleets of Q-ships to sail off Somalia and the Malay Straight and pick off pirates. ---
**Author:** ![appleciders](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/85f322/32.png) [@appleciders](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/appleciders)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2012, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-could-you-do-with-a-trillion-dollars-that-you-could-not-do-with-a-billion-dollars/631856/22 "2012-08-18T16:38:54Z")
> [@Rachellelogram](#): > > I’d colorize the moon. Is that a typo, or are you really going to paint the moon? ---
**Author:** ![computergeek](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e56c9b/32.png) [@computergeek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/computergeek)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2012, 4:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-could-you-do-with-a-trillion-dollars-that-you-could-not-do-with-a-billion-dollars/631856/23 "2012-08-18T16:59:30Z")
1. I just read an article about self-driving cars and when they could be on the market. I would invest in that market to help bring the concept to fruition sooner than it otherwise would, though there are still regulations and laws that would have to be passed to make it all work well together. 2. Spread money around to all the states and the Federal government to overhaul various infrastructure, including roads and the power grid. This would include investing in various research projects to create better and smarter infrastructure. 3. Invest in various research projects to improve the battery (that’s used in cars) to help the electric car market and possibly other types of cars. Part of that would include finding ways to be totally off the grid so cars don’t even have to plug into the electric grid to power up. 4. Create a scholarship fund to allow anyone who wants to to go to college. It would probably be limited so people don’t go crazy and spend 12 years in school or go to stupid schools but it would allow people not to go into so much debt. There are probably other things, but I can’t think of them right now. Of all the above where stuff is manufactured, I would make sure as much as possible was done in the US to help create jobs. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2012, 5:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-could-you-do-with-a-trillion-dollars-that-you-could-not-do-with-a-billion-dollars/631856/24 "2012-08-18T17:15:44Z")
1. Hold a year-long world-wide lottery for 500 billion dollars. 2. Move to Oban, Scotland and buy the Oban Distillery. 3. Buy [this little bungalow](http://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-19299045.html), and throw Dopefests(airfare comped, of course). 4. Fly in They Might Be Giants and John Pinette for entertainment. 5. Hire professional ball washer. 6. Invest in American high tech. ---
**Author:** ![handsomeharry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e9c0ed/32.png) [@handsomeharry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handsomeharry)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2012, 6:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-could-you-do-with-a-trillion-dollars-that-you-could-not-do-with-a-billion-dollars/631856/25 "2012-08-18T18:31:19Z")
> [@fighting\_ignorant](#): > > You MONSTER! I, for one, would certainly NOT use the money to starve kids in Africa. That’s just cruel. My new hero!😃 ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2012, 6:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-could-you-do-with-a-trillion-dollars-that-you-could-not-do-with-a-billion-dollars/631856/26 "2012-08-18T18:36:44Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > 1. Buy [this little bungalow](http://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-19299045.html), and throw Dopefests(airfare comped, of course). Fifteen bedrooms and only thirteen bathrooms? Who’s the poor sod who has to double up on bathrooms? ---
**Author:** ![DMark](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@DMark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DMark)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2012, 6:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-could-you-do-with-a-trillion-dollars-that-you-could-not-do-with-a-billion-dollars/631856/27 "2012-08-18T18:52:27Z")
Go to the local casino, find a roulette game and put it all on red! Double my money in a matter of seconds! What could possibly go wrong?! And once I had two trillion, well now we’re talking! Plan B: Next time Powerball is way up there, I believe I could buy every ticket with every combination for only $175 million or so, and be guaranteed to win! What could possibly go wrong? Well, granted, if two or three other people win I might take a bit of a hit, but other than that… ---
**Author:** ![Michael63129](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/3da27b/32.png) [@Michael63129](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Michael63129)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2012, 7:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-could-you-do-with-a-trillion-dollars-that-you-could-not-do-with-a-billion-dollars/631856/28 "2012-08-18T19:11:31Z")
A trillion dollars? The U.S. government wouldn’t be that impressed with a “mere” trillion dollars. ---
**Author:** ![Suburban\_Plankton](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/suburban_plankton/32/219_2.png) [@Suburban\_Plankton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Suburban_Plankton)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2012, 8:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-could-you-do-with-a-trillion-dollars-that-you-could-not-do-with-a-billion-dollars/631856/29 "2012-08-18T20:19:37Z")
According to Wikipedia, the cost of a Nimitz-class aircraft carrier is about $4.5 billion, a B-2 bomber is $2.1 billion, and an F-35 is a paltry $230 million. With $1000 billion, I think I could fund myself a decent sized personal army/navy/air force. ---
**Author:** ![Moonlitherial](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4bbf92/32.png) [@Moonlitherial](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moonlitherial)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2012, 9:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-could-you-do-with-a-trillion-dollars-that-you-could-not-do-with-a-billion-dollars/631856/30 "2012-08-18T21:02:01Z")
> [@Rachellelogram](#): > > I’d colorize the moon. > [@appleciders](#): > > Is that a typo, or are you really going to paint the moon? I don’t know if it’s a typo or not but just in case can I put my order in for a lovely shade of lilac? I think it’s going to need to be a fairly light colour so we can still see it and I think purple would add a lot to the sky. As for me - forget about running my own country that sounds like a ton of work. I would use whatever was necessary to set up my own little corner of paradise (I wonder if I could convince Larry to sell Lanai) and set up some very smart people I know to evaluate technologies and charities to spread the rest around to. I’d be willing to step into that role for them if they had this occur but if I’ve got this much money I’m all about being a figurehead. The difference between billion and trillion in this circumstance would be all about the amount of good that team could do and I suppose the size of my hideaway. ---
**Author:** ![drachillix](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/48db29/32.png) [@drachillix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drachillix)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2012, 9:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-could-you-do-with-a-trillion-dollars-that-you-could-not-do-with-a-billion-dollars/631856/31 "2012-08-18T21:18:30Z")
> [@kayaker](#): > > Fifteen bedrooms and only thirteen bathrooms? Who’s the poor sod who has to double up on bathrooms? The first person to mention it. ---
**Author:** ![Animastryfe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/8797f3/32.png) [@Animastryfe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Animastryfe)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2012, 10:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-could-you-do-with-a-trillion-dollars-that-you-could-not-do-with-a-billion-dollars/631856/32 "2012-08-18T22:27:41Z")
One trillion USD is slightly lower than South Korea’s GDP, which is the fifteenth highest in the world. This means that you can destroy or otherwise significantly alter most countries’ economies. The world’s total nominal expenditure on R&D in 2010 was about one trillion USD. ---
**Author:** ![FoieGrasIsEvil](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foiegrasisevil/32/16638_2.png) [@FoieGrasIsEvil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FoieGrasIsEvil)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2012, 10:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-could-you-do-with-a-trillion-dollars-that-you-could-not-do-with-a-billion-dollars/631856/33 "2012-08-18T22:32:53Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > 1. Buy [this little bungalow](http://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-19299045.html), and throw Dopefests(airfare comped, of course). That bar is impressive! ---
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2012, 11:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-could-you-do-with-a-trillion-dollars-that-you-could-not-do-with-a-billion-dollars/631856/34 "2012-08-18T23:19:59Z")
A trillion dollars is not as powerful as you may think. There are scale limits to how much money or resources you can throw at something relative to how quickly or practically a job can get done. Plus if you have a trillion dollars that amount of resources and power would create its own political and economic gravitational field. As the most powerful single and unrestrained economic actor on earth a lot of political and economic entities are going to treat you warily, and potentially be hostile to your existence, and will not necessarily be cooperative with your plans. ---
**Author:** ![Rachellelogram](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rachellelogram/32/8689_2.png) [@Rachellelogram](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rachellelogram)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2012, 11:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-could-you-do-with-a-trillion-dollars-that-you-could-not-do-with-a-billion-dollars/631856/35 "2012-08-18T23:40:00Z")
> [@appleciders](#): > > Is that a typo, or are you really going to paint the moon? https://www.youtube.com/embed/o9cFZ8EXA08?feature=oembed&wmode=opaque ---
**Author:** ![Dendarii\_Dame](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/bbce88/32.png) [@Dendarii\_Dame](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dendarii_Dame)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2012, 12:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-could-you-do-with-a-trillion-dollars-that-you-could-not-do-with-a-billion-dollars/631856/36 "2012-08-19T00:23:33Z")
Buy something that costs a little less than a trillion dollars, and be able to pay the sales tax. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2012, 12:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-could-you-do-with-a-trillion-dollars-that-you-could-not-do-with-a-billion-dollars/631856/37 "2012-08-19T00:51:58Z")
Start a private club. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2012, 1:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-could-you-do-with-a-trillion-dollars-that-you-could-not-do-with-a-billion-dollars/631856/38 "2012-08-19T01:02:16Z")
> [@fighting\_ignorant](#): > > You MONSTER! I, for one, would certainly NOT use the money to starve kids in Africa. That’s just cruel. It’s like I told those kids who said they were collecting money for cancer. They won’t get a cent out of me; I’m against cancer. ---
**Author:** ![Chimera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Chimera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chimera)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2012, 1:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-could-you-do-with-a-trillion-dollars-that-you-could-not-do-with-a-billion-dollars/631856/39 "2012-08-19T01:58:30Z")
Awesomely beautiful women may not want to sleep with me for $10,000 or even $1 million dollars. But what if I offered them $100 million? 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![gotpasswords](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c57346/32.png) [@gotpasswords](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gotpasswords)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2012, 3:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-could-you-do-with-a-trillion-dollars-that-you-could-not-do-with-a-billion-dollars/631856/40 "2012-08-19T03:36:47Z")
I’d hire Warren Buffett to mow my yard, Bill Gates to paint my living room, and I’ll figure out something for Carlos Slim to do. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-could-you-do-with-a-trillion-dollars-that-you-could-not-do-with-a-billion-dollars/631856.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-could-you-do-with-a-trillion-dollars-that-you-could-not-do-with-a-billion-dollars/631856.md?page=3)