"He was wrong. A trillion is a million millions-twelve zeroes-but in his defence, it is an unfathomable number. If Musk has $1 trillion (US), his wealth would hover somewhere between the gross domestic product of the Netherlands-$1.2 trillion (US)-and Switzerland-$936 billion (US)-making him the equivalent of the world's twentieth largest economy. The International Space Station, the most expensive structure ever built, was co-funded by fourteen countries, including the United States, Canada, Russia, and Japan, and it cost around $150 billion (US)."
"Upon further investigation, I realized that the reality is more complicated than Tesla writing Musk a cheque for a trillion dollars. Musk's net worth currently hovers around a little under half a trillion dollars, making him, generally speaking, the richest person in the world. I say "generally speaking" because a significant portion of Musk's net worth takes the form of stocks, meaning that it oscillates daily depending on speculation."
A trillion equals one million millions, or twelve zeros, and remains an almost unfathomable number. A $1 trillion personal fortune would sit between the GDPs of the Netherlands and Switzerland, putting that wealth roughly on par with the twentieth largest national economy. The International Space Station cost about $150 billion, so $1 trillion could fund about six such stations with money left over. Musk's net worth currently sits a little under half a trillion dollars and fluctuates because much of it is held in stock. Tesla's proposed package would grant 423.7 million shares valued near $900 billion, contingent on Musk staying and increasing Tesla's market value eightfold over a decade.
Read at The Walrus
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