[HN Gopher] Show HN: How much is 13B euros?
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       Show HN: How much is 13B euros?
        
       Hi,  I made this page to contextualize 13 billion euros (or 14): an
       amount due to Ireland in an EU Apple tax case and all over the
       airwaves here this week. I use some pretty silly back-of-the-
       envelope type calculations (the same ones also repeated a lot in
       Ireland this week!).  These calculations aren't especially
       interesting, but at least they are present: you can see them, and
       you can change them. If you do - change the 13 billion to 14
       billion for example, related numbers will flash with updates.  It's
       an example using calculang[1]: a language for calculations, and an
       example that focuses on a close connection between numbers that we
       read or share and formulas/workings behind those numbers.  I plan
       to do a separate Show HN about calculang perhaps when I have more
       docs and newer playground and gallery together, but Showing this
       page in case it's interesting, & happy if there is feedback!
       Declan  [0] https://HowMuchIs13BillionEuros.com repo:
       https://github.com/declann/HowMuchIs13BillionEuros.com  [1]
       https://calculang.dev
        
       Author : dndn1
       Score  : 46 points
       Date   : 2024-09-11 21:52 UTC (1 hours ago)
        
 (HTM) web link (howmuchis13billioneuros.com)
 (TXT) w3m dump (howmuchis13billioneuros.com)
        
       | bahador wrote:
       | relevant xkcd: https://xkcd.com/980/
        
         | IggleSniggle wrote:
         | I love this one:
         | 
         | https://mkorostoff.github.io/1-pixel-wealth/
        
       | pornel wrote:
       | This shows values per person in Ireland, but AFAIK the tax is
       | from all European income, Apple has just channelled that through
       | Irish subsidiary.
       | 
       | Isle of Man is probably even richer in per capita money they've
       | never seen.
        
       | soperj wrote:
       | If Apple got a 13 billion dollar fine every single month, it
       | would take 22 years for it to exhaust their networth.
        
         | brigadier132 wrote:
         | This is a pointless statistic. I assume you mean market
         | capitalization by net worth and if they were fined that much
         | every month their market cap would immediately drop by 90%
         | because their costs in paying fines would take away 90% of
         | their profit.
        
           | soperj wrote:
           | Most statistics are pointless. This is just a representation
           | of what 13 billion is.
        
         | bee_rider wrote:
         | Is that more than their monthly EU revenue? I guess they would
         | just decide not to do business in the EU in that case.
        
       | nottorp wrote:
       | 1 km of freeway is 10-40 million so 325-1300 km of freeway.
       | 
       | 1 km of high speed train line is 20-60 million so 216-650 km of
       | high speed train
       | 
       | Ireland's healthcare spending was 22.3 Bn in 2023, so 13 Bn
       | covers 7 months of healthcare for the country.
       | 
       | I see the OP included "In EUR 2.24Bn National Childrens
       | Hospitals? 5.8 National Childrens Hospitals" so they're on the
       | right track.
       | 
       | We're talking about state spending here so it's pointless to
       | compare it to the price of a tablet IMO.
        
       | melenaboija wrote:
       | 0,001% of all billionaires net worth.
        
       | kman82 wrote:
       | What's the point of this?
        
         | arcbyte wrote:
         | To manipulate your emotions and bypass your intelligence into
         | adopting a specific world view.
        
           | renjimen wrote:
           | Takes one to know one?
           | 
           | The point is to help folks understand how significant this
           | fine is. Take from it what you will.
        
           | mazugrin2 wrote:
           | A lot of folks aren't great with numeracy, so I think it's
           | good to use examples to help people understand how much tax
           | Apple didn't have to pay that they themselves would have had
           | to pay if they earned as much as Apple did.
        
         | dgfitz wrote:
         | > Hi, I made this page to contextualize 13 billion euros (or
         | 14): an amount due to Ireland in an EU Apple tax case and all
         | over the airwaves here this week. I use some pretty silly back-
         | of-the-envelope type calculations
         | 
         | It's in the post. You asked a shitty question. Don't be rude.
        
       | rsynnott wrote:
       | A metro system or two: https://www.thejournal.ie/metrolink-
       | expensive-rail-undergrou...
        
       | lofaszvanitt wrote:
       | The obsession with numbers and money, the sure sign of evil.
       | Everyone, quick, drink holy wasser, until it's too late :D.
        
       | michelangelo wrote:
       | I'd say more than EUR5.
        
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       (page generated 2024-09-11 23:00 UTC)