# What is a Billionaire in America, how much money? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [May 6, 2002, 10:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-billionaire-in-america-how-much-money/107630 "2002-05-06T22:15:30Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Dandmb50](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ba9def/32.png) [@Dandmb50](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dandmb50)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2002, 10:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-billionaire-in-america-how-much-money/107630/1 "2002-05-06T22:15:30Z")
In America I have heard people referred to as being billionaires when they have more than 100 million dollars. But isn’t a billion come just after 999,999,999 million? And if a billionaire achieves that milestone at $100 million why does this story on CNN say that the movie made $114 million? Should it be $1.14 billion? Don’t Americans use the same math we use in Canada? This was a recent headline on [Cnn.com](http://Cnn.com) **"Spider-Man" swung into box office history with a record-smashing $114 million estimated haul from its first weekend** Can someone explain this to me please. :rolleyes: Daniel…Toronto We’re just above the 49th… ---
**Author:** ![Ringo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/779978/32.png) [@Ringo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ringo)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2002, 10:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-billionaire-in-america-how-much-money/107630/2 "2002-05-06T22:22:03Z")
As far as I know it takes a billion dollars ($1,000,000,000) in assets to be a billionaire, but perhaps I’m about to be enlightened. ---
**Author:** ![DMark](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@DMark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DMark)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2002, 10:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-billionaire-in-america-how-much-money/107630/3 "2002-05-06T22:31:52Z")
There are some language games at play here. In Europe (and maybe Canada as well) the word billion is different that in American English. 1,000,000 = Million in both USA and Europe 1,000,000,000 = Billion in USA, but = Thousand Million in Europe 1,000,000,000,000 = Trillion in USA but = Billion in Europe I know that whenever there was some statement from USA government on spending a Billion Dollars on toilet seats or whatever, my friends in Europe were always shocked at the huge sum…and yes, it is huge no matter how you cut it, but not as huge as they thought. Next variations on UK vs USA: Don’t tell a Brit you will smack him on his fanny. ---
**Author:** ![Xema](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/9de053/32.png) [@Xema](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Xema)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2002, 10:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-billionaire-in-america-how-much-money/107630/4 "2002-05-06T22:44:04Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Dandmb50 \* > In America I have heard people referred to as being billionaires when they have more than 100 million dollars. I have never run across this – in my US experience, a billion is always ten times 100 million. > [@](#): > > But isn’t a billion come just after 999,999,999 million? No, it is come just after 999 million. ---
**Author:** ![manhattan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/manhattan/32/7_2.png) [@manhattan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/manhattan)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2002, 10:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-billionaire-in-america-how-much-money/107630/5 "2002-05-06T22:48:40Z")
**SDSTAFF Dex** on [American and British billions](http://www.straightdope.com/mailbag/mgazilli.html) ---
**Author:** ![Dandmb50](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ba9def/32.png) [@Dandmb50](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dandmb50)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2002, 10:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-billionaire-in-america-how-much-money/107630/6 "2002-05-06T22:58:00Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Xema \* > \*\* > > No, it is come just after 999 million. \*\* Ok ok well here is is then… 999,999,996 999,999,997 999,999,998 999,999,999 1,000,000,000 billion , right? So if I do it like Xema I would be short a million dollars?? 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Mikahw](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Mikahw](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mikahw)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2002, 12:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-billionaire-in-america-how-much-money/107630/7 "2002-05-07T00:02:40Z")
Yes, a billion comes after 999,999,999 dollars. You didn’t say dollars though, you said a billion comes after 999,999,999 million. (okay, I know what you probably meant, but still…) ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2002, 1:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-billionaire-in-america-how-much-money/107630/8 "2002-05-07T01:21:51Z")
Um, wouldn’t it be a little difficult to smack a Brit on **his** fanny? 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Ximenean](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/aca169/32.png) [@Ximenean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ximenean)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2002, 8:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-billionaire-in-america-how-much-money/107630/9 "2002-05-07T08:09:11Z")
According to Her Majesty’s own Treasury, British GDP last year rose from £956 billion to £1,000 billion. So, unless Britain is experiencing an unprecedented economic boom, ‘billion’ means the same here as it does in the US, one thousand million. ---
**Author:** ![DMark](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@DMark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DMark)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2002, 5:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-billionaire-in-america-how-much-money/107630/10 "2002-05-07T17:23:47Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Sunspace \* > \*\*Um, wouldn’t it be a little difficult to smack a Brit on **his** fanny? 😃 \*\* In Britain, yes. In US, no. ---
**Author:** ![Lagged2Death](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ac8455/32.png) [@Lagged2Death](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lagged2Death)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2002, 6:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-billionaire-in-america-how-much-money/107630/11 "2002-05-07T18:39:11Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Dandmb50 \* > **In America I have heard people referred to as being billionaires when they have more than 100 million dollars.** You’re right, people who have more than $100 million are not billionaires. I think what you’re seeing is a common mis-spelling of the highly-technical term “bazillionaires,” meaning people with so much money that it’s not worth counting any more. 😃 (See also “jillionaire”)