Bill Gates

Marge · 03-02-2004, 22:55

Having just watched another quality programme

it is reported that Billy Boy is worth 46 billion pounds. I can't get my head round how much one billion is, is it a million million or a thousand million??? Any brainy folk out there who can enlighten me

Xaccers · 03-02-2004, 22:58

It's the US/International billion, 1x10^9
1,000,000,000
1,000 million
So not as big as the good ol' British Billion (million x million)

MadGamer · 03-02-2004, 22:59

He gets something like $12 billion dollers every 12 seconds im lead to believe, from every M$ product sold.

Stuart · 03-02-2004, 22:59

I think that if it is an english Billion they are referring to, it is /was (it may have changed) a million million.

If it was an American Billion, it would be 1 thousand million.

Either way, a hell of a lot of money.

Edit: Xaccers beat me...

Paul K · 03-02-2004, 23:02

As Xaccers had already stated, it depends where you are

http://dictionary.reference.com/search?r=2&q=billion
Still hasn't bought him a decent haircut though

Marge · 03-02-2004, 23:06

Wonder if he needs a PA, bet he's great for a Christmas bonus

Bifta · 03-02-2004, 23:06

Quote:

Originally Posted by Paul

As Xaccers had already stated, it depends where you are

http://dictionary.reference.com/search?r=2&q=billion
Still hasn't bought him a decent haircut though

Man .. was your hair any better in the 70's/80's?

03-02-2004, 23:07

In most places its the american method which is used which is multiples of ten to the power of three. i.e 1 times ten to the three is a thousand, a million is 1 times ten to the 6 (1,000,000) and a billion is 1 times ten to the 9 (1,000,000,000).

Thats the engineering way these days.

Paul K · 03-02-2004, 23:09

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bifta

Man .. was your hair any better in the 70's/80's?

Yes

Since I was just a squib in the 70's I had very little hair anyway, bit like now really

Marge · 03-02-2004, 23:11

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bifta

Man .. was your hair any better in the 70's/80's?

Thing is having just seen him on this programme I swear he's got the same specs and hairdo

**Paul** · 03-02-2004, 23:11

Technically it is a million million in Britain - but most people now think of it as 1,000 million.

I think in accounting it is always 1,000 million (i.e. when the chancellor talks about two billion pounds, he means 2,000 million pounds).

luftys · 03-02-2004, 23:14

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bifta

Man .. was your hair any better in the 70's/80's?

think he is better as a borg

Jerrek · 04-02-2004, 04:41

No, technically it is 1,000 million. I don't recall learning anything else ever. You Brits are just strange. :p

Xaccers · 04-02-2004, 05:58

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jerrek

No, technically it is 1,000 million. I don't recall learning anything else ever. You Brits are just strange. :p

It's because yanks find things like one hundred thousand million dollars too complicated so they call it one hundred billion dollars (little finger in corner of mouth).
I mean this is the country where they can't even cope with a gear stick and clutch

You can't expect them to be good at maths.

Jerrek · 04-02-2004, 13:24

I don't think we find things such as one hundred thousand million dollars to complicated. Look at our deficit...