How far could a trillion dollars go? From Fabergé eggs to Cartier diamonds and World Cup final VIP access, we crunch the numbers.
Even by the standards of modern wealth, the number is difficult to comprehend. A billion dollars already places its owner in a financial universe far removed from everyday life. A trillion dollars belongs to another realm entirely.
Conventional measures of wealth, at that scale, can begin to lose their meaning. Because private jets and superyachts no longer feel especially extravagant when they can be purchased by the thousand. Which raises an irresistible question: what does a trillion dollars actually buy?
In the interests of understanding quite how large a sum it really is, we decided to go shopping.
The trillionaire’s shopping basket
7.7 billion afternoon teas at The Ritz
A traditional afternoon tea at The Ritz London remains one of the capital’s most civilized indulgences. At around £95 per person (approx. $130), a trillion dollars would purchase 7.7 billion servings.
That is enough for almost every person on Earth to enjoy tea beneath the chandeliers of Piccadilly. The limiting factor, one suspects, would not be the money but the global supply of cucumber and cream cheese sandwiches.
See also: Quintessentially British Afternoon Teas to Book in London
285,714 bottles of the world’s most expensive tequila
The Tequila Ley .925 Diamante holds the undisputed title of the world’s most expensive tequila, valued at $3.5m thanks to its jewel-encrusted bottle. But do you really need 285,714 of them? Potentially, if you have the cellar space…
2,500 of America’s most expensive property
The so-called ‘Crown Jewel of Los Angeles,’ one of the most expensive residential properties ever offered in the United States, has been marketed for around $400m. A trillion dollars would buy 2,500 of them – an extraordinary feat of personal real estate collecting.
1.3 million trips to space
A seat on Virgin Galactic’s SpaceShip spaceplane for one of its 90-minute flights is now priced at $750,000. At that rate, a trillion dollars buys approximately 1.3 million trips. Who said seeing the curvature of the Earth is just a once-in-a-lifetime experience?
See also: Does Artemis II Prove Space Tourism Might Soon Take Off?
769,230 of the world’s most expensive cigar
The Gurkha Royal Courtesan, often cited as one of the most expensive cigars ever sold, reportedly costs around $1.3m. With Elon’s fortune, he could buy 769,230 – that’s enough to smoke one every day for more than 2,100 years.
See also: The Best Cigar Lounges Hidden Inside London Hotels
10 million Cartier diamond necklaces
A Cartier diamond necklace can comfortably command six figures. Assuming a relatively restrained $100,000 per piece, a trillion dollars would buy 10 million of them. Basically, a surplus large enough to alarm the diamond market.
100 million years of membership club access
The world’s most sought-after private members’ clubs – from London’s Annabel’s to Capital Club in Dubai – typically charge annual fees measured in the thousands rather than millions. Assuming an average membership costs $10,000 a year, a trillion-dollar fortune would cover 100 million years of membership fees.
Put another way, Elon Musk could have joined a private members’ club when woolly mammoths still roamed the Earth and remained a member until long after today.
20 million cloned dogs
For those unwilling to accept the finite lifespan of a beloved pet, commercial cloning offers a rather extraordinary solution, at around $50,000 per dog. With a trillion dollars you could afford to clone 20 million dogs – an extravagant display of devotion, if you will.
33,333 Fabergé Eggs
Original Imperial Fabergé Eggs are among the rarest luxury collectibles in the world. When they do appear at auction, prices can exceed $30m. With a trillion dollars, you could theoretically buy 33,333. Considering only around 50 Imperial Eggs were ever made, this presents a minor supply problem.
250,000 rare on-pitch tickets to the 2026 World Cup final
Most fans dream of getting a ticket to the World Cup Final. Knightsbridge Circle, the luxury concierge service, recently announced something considerably rarer: six seats on the halfway line in the front row of the 2026 World Cup Final, together with on-pitch access to the trophy ceremony itself. The price? $4m for all six places.
With a trillion dollars, you could buy 250,000 of these packages. The difficulty, naturally, is that only one package exists – and is only available to Knightsbridge Circle members. And even if Fifa staged a World Cup Final every year, it would take a quarter of a million years to redeem them all.
See also: A City-by-City Guide to the Best Hotel Suites for the 2026 World Cup
2 million Hermès Himalaya Niloticus Crocodile Birkins
Among handbag collectors, few objects possess the mythical status of the diamond-encrusted Hermès Himalaya Niloticus Crocodile Birkin.
With examples fetching around $500,000, a trillion dollars buys two million of them – enough for nearly every resident in the city of Paris to own one, and to likely have an unwanted knock-on effect on their value.
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