Billgate's Dollars

Another way to examine this sort of wealth is to compare it to yours. Consider
an average American of modest wealth. Perhaps she has a net worth of $70,000.
Mr. Gates' worth is 800,000 times larger. Which means that if something costs
$100,000 to her, to Bill it's as though it costs 12 cents. You can work out the
right multiplier for your own net worth.So for example, you might think a new
Lambourghini Diablo would cost $250,000, but in Bill Gates dollars that's 31
cents.

That fully loaded, multimedia active matrix 233 MHZ laptop with the 1024x768
screen you've been drooling after? Half a penny.A nice home in a rich
town like Palo Alto, California? Two dollars. That nice mansion he's
building? A more reasonable $63 to him.You might spend $50 on tickets, food
and parking to take your date to see an NHL hockey game. Bill, on the other
hand could buy the team for 50 Bill-bills.

You might buy a plane ticket on a Boeing 747 for $1200 at full-fare coach.
In Bill-bills, Mr. Gates could buy six 747s (Not tickets, the planes
themselves). Two for him, two for Melinda and two for young Jennifer Katherine.