How much would it cost to buy the world? Around $15 sextillion
If you‘ve ever dreamed of being the ultimate gaming overlord – with enough XP to conquer every realm, enough gold to upgrade all gear, and the ultimate planetary high score – how big a check would you need to write? Based on calculations by astrophysicists, acquiring our entire home planet could set you back over $15 sextillion!
Let‘s explore what it might actually take to "buy Earth," how astronomical the costs get when expanding to full solar systems, and what it all means for intergalactic domination dreams:
Breaking Down Earth‘s Price Tag
Renowned science Youtuber Kurzgesagt collaborated with economics channel Economics Explained to crunch the numbers on Earth‘s hypothetical price. By tallying up the worth of all land, buildings, infrastructure, and resources – they reached a total around $15.8 sextillion!
To conceptualize how much money that really is, imagine slowly spending $1 billion a day. At that rate, it would take you over 40 million years to blow through that full amount! Suffice to say, no clan‘s gaming bounty is big enough to foot that bill.
Here‘s a breakdown of what comprises that massive valuation:
| Layer | Description | Worth |
|---|---|---|
| Land | All terrestrial land, frozen tundra, deserts, etc | $117 trillion |
| Buildings/Infrastructure | All manmade structures and systems | $3 trillion |
| Water | Fresh/salty water sources | $1 quadrillion |
| Air | Benefits provided by atmosphere | $7 septillion |
| Life | All ecosystems and biodiversity | $2 sextillion |
| Inner Earth | Resources like metals and fossil fuels | $2 sextillion |
As we can see, the planet itself with all its natural benefits makes up over 99% of the total! Clearly no gaming guilds will be pooling funds to snatch up exclusive rights to Earth‘s terrain or oxygen supplies anytime soon.
How Do Countries Compare?
Though seizing a whole country seems slightly more feasible, how do leading world powers stack up value-wise?
The United States tops the list at a net worth of $113 trillion when accounting for all assets like real estate and infrastructure.
Up north, Canada‘s national wealth tallies just under $10 trillion – much of it locked up in those frosty mountainscapes and dense forests perfect for open world adventures!
For perspective, even towering gaming giant Tencent Holdings has a comparatively tiny market cap around $300 billion. So no solo players or dev studios stand to conquer entire first world countries through sheer spending clout alone!
Interstellar Pricing Beyond Our Solar System
Venturing out across the cosmos reveals astronomical values that dwarf even Earth itself! Our Sun for example produces an estimated $1 octillion in energy yearly from fusion reactions. Harnessing a small star‘s full energy output could meet gaming server needs for millennia!
And astronomers recently discovered a "diamond planet" orbiting a pulsar that literally rains down gems. That distant orb‘s mineral value sits at 384 quadrillion times Earth‘s total GDP!
Clearly, the gaming loot potential soars exponentially once intergalactic travel becomes viable. For now though, even the most decked out rigs and vast game libraries remain a cosmic bargain by comparison!
The Reality: Much Remains Beyond Buying
While galactic domination may not be in the cards purchase-wise, some experts argue we shouldn‘t put a price tag on environmental assets anyway. Water supplies, biodiversity, and livable terrain provide benefits that all life relies on.
So while total planetary buyouts exceed even gaming giants‘ wildest dreams, hopefully much of our world remains protected beyond buying, selling or conquest. As generations of gamers understand, some resources are just too valuable to be someone‘s exclusive property!
Our shared planet‘s worth goes far beyond dollars and high score potential. But it still offers endless open world potential for everyone to keep exploring.
