I don’t know what possessed me to write this today, but for some reason the amount of $100,000,000 was just on my mind and I wanted to do some Quick Math^TM to see how much that could do if it was directed towards a couple different sources. If anyone is just sitting on 100M, maybe you could get some ideas?

The Barenaked Ladies said it best: “If I had a million dollars, I’d be rich.” Well that was in Canada in 1988. Adjusting for inflation, if they wanted to have the same amount of spending power in 2021 they’d have to have around 1,982,783.36 Canadian dollars. With some generous rounding that would be about 1.5 million USD. Therefore, if you listened to the song “If I Had $1000000” by the Barenaked Ladies 300 times (which would take you about 5 hours), you would listen to them sing about approximately $100,000,000 USD in 2021. (Don’t do this unless you REALLY like the Barenaked Ladies)

Delightful Canadian alt rock bands aside, $100,000,000 in 2021 is still no joke. Today, $100,000,000 could get you:

• 33,444,816 Taco Bell Crunchwrap Supremes
• 9,073 Ford Fiestas
• 1 Father’s Approval
• 20,000,000 Subway Five Dollar Footlongs
• 266,666 Video Messages From Lindsey Lohan, Star of The Parent Trap (1998)
• 5,000,000 K-Card Replacement
• 16,666,666 Chilito’s Margaritas
• 107,181,136 Rolls of Charmin Ultra Soft Bath Tissue delivered to a small college town in Ohio
• Reshoot the original Friday the 13th film shot-for-shot 45 times

$100,000,000 could also contribute to more meaningful causes:

• Feed 2.5 million children facing food insecurity for 1 year
• Reduce a small liberal arts college’s carbon footprint by approximately 383 metric tons of CO₂
• Provide temporary housing for upwards of 11,000 people without access to a shelter
• Provide full tuition to 372 students in the class of 2026 at a small liberal arts college

I’m not the best at math and these are by no means the only uses for $100,000,000. I’m not the most qualified to speak on this subject. There are so many people who know so much more. I just thought it would be a good idea to demonstrate a few ways that $100,000,000 could make a difference. If someone were, theoretically, willing to just give away that much money, it would be ridiculous for them to not use it in an impactful way, right?

I have no control over what private individuals choose to do with their personal wealth. However, everyone’s actions have consequences, and when someone chooses to spend money they are demonstrating their values. If those with economic power value vanity above all else then it’s no wonder that we’ve irrevocably altered the climate of the planet, allowed 1.6 billion people to live without adequate shelter, and watched 821 million people worldwide become malnourished because they don’t have access to enough food. And we still refuse to take meaningful economic action. Going forward let’s support the organizations that do positive work for the planet and the people on it. Put your money where your mouth is and let’s be better than those that came before us.

Bibliography:

“Food.” United Nations. United Nations. Accessed February 18, 2021. 

https://www.un.org/en/sections/issues-depth/food/index.html#:~:text=The%20latest%20available%20estimates%20indicate,and%20lead%20an%20active%20life.

“Global Status Report 2017.” UN Environment. Accessed February 18, 2021. 

https://www.worldgbc.org/sites/default/files/UNEP%20188_GABC_en%20%28web%29.pdf.

“World Habitat Day.” World Habitat Day | Comal County Habitat for Humanity. Accessed 

February 18, 2021. https://www.comalhabitat.org/events/world-habitat-day#:~:text=Today%2C%201.6%20billion%20people%20live,those%20live%20in%20informal%20settlements.