How much is it?

How much is a billion really?

The number 1'000'000'000 has many zeroes, but as pointed out elsewhere, any number only takes meaning when compared with some other number that is familiar.

A billion is a thousand million, but that's still very abstract.

Let's try this simple computation:  what would you need to do to own a billion in your local currency?

Accumulating a Billion

Let's say you start working on owning your billion when you are 20 years old, and let's assume that by the time you are 70 years old you have effectively been able to save enough to own a billion.

That means you have 50 years to do it.

Suppose also that you work only during the five weekdays each week, and that you only work 50 weeks a year, taking two weeks of holidays.  Thus you work 5×50=250 days a year, during 50 years.

You have 250x50=12'500 days to earn enough money to live and to set aside enough money to have a billion in savings at the end.

But we will calculate only the necessary savings, not what you need in addition to live.

Savings per Day

You have 12'500 days to make 1'000'000'000

Therefore on average you need to put aside 1'000'000'000/12'500 = 80'000 each day.

If you put in an "honest 8 hour's work" it means you need to be paid 10'000 per hour (but that's for your savings, you need more if you also want to buy food and clothes and pay the rent).

Some other Thoughts

Suppose at 70 you have a personal fortune of 12.5 billion.  The same calculation (work it out!) tells us that you would have needed to earn one million per working day.

Is there any sort of talent that is worth paying a million a day for?

Do you know anyone who is so good at their job and so irreplaceable that society will gladly pay them a million a day?

Is there any business producing goods that are so important and valuable that the owner of the business should be carrying off a million a day?