Saw this morning the IRS is getting audited by a Japanese dog and an African-American billionaire.
A lot of people online (who represent less than 1% of the population) aren’t happy about that.
“Elon’s stealing our money!”
Lol, what?
The world’s richest man doesn’t need the crusty couch-pennies left over from your PT job microwaving frozen black bean Crunch Wrap Supremes at Taco Bell.
If you’re American (91% of my readers are), know that we collectively infuse the IRS with more than 2 TRILLION dollars every year in personal income tax.
What Does 2 Trillion Dollars Even Look Like?
Your eyes glazed over reading that, didn’t they?
It’s OK.
You literally cannot grasp the scale of “2 trillion.” It’s impossible.
At most, the human brain understands 1, 2, 3, 4… maybe 5.
To prove it, I want you to picture:
Three horses running through a field.
That’s easy, right?
Now picture four horses.
Still doable.
OK… now picture TEN horses running through a field. They can be any color. Any breed.
They can be saddled, ridden by a Mongol horse archer, or naked as the day they were born.
Totally up to you.
I’ll wait.
…
…
You can’t, right?
You can picture “several” horses, but not exactly ten. As more and more equines enter the fray, your brain can’t “keep up” with the galloping horde.
It’s like juggling—you might be able to handle three balls, but every additional ball makes things exponentially harder.
How to Make Big Numbers Feel Real
So, how much is 2 trillion?
Let’s break it down:
- If you had 2 trillion dollar bills, you could cover the entire state of Connecticut in George Washington’s face.
- 2 trillion dollars is more than the GDP of Canada, Italy, or Brazil.
- With 2 trillion dollars, you could buy every single person on the planet a Nintendo Switch—and still have money left over.
- 2 trillion dollars is enough to buy every single home in California.
See what I did there?
You might not know exactly how many people are on Earth. But knowing you could buy all of them a video game console makes “2 trillion” more tangible.
This is called “dimensionalizing” a number—turning raw data into a real, graspable concept.
The best marketers do this constantly.
Where Did All That Money Go?
Good question.
IRS agent assigned to monitor my communications, if you’re reading this… maybe you can tell us.
Probably the same place most marketing budgets go—someone else’s pocket.
Back when I worked at an agency, you wouldn’t BELIEVE the Washington-level waste happening behind the scenes:
- Misallocated ad budgets
- Wasted Zoom sessions
- Thumb-twiddling disguised as “strategy”
My agency wasn’t even that bad, but you should hear some of the horror stories we got from clients about their old “marketing experts.”
It’s always the same:
They were stuck on the endless agency treadmill, being told that results were just around the corner.
Poppycock.
Cures, Not Prescriptions
That’s why I don’t do retainers just for the sake of keeping a client.
I deliver cures, not lifetime prescriptions.
When I’m done with your business, I’ll slap it on the haunches and watch it gallop off into the wild—strong and healthy like a Mongolian war steed.
Maybe you won’t make $2 trillion.
But who can say?
If you want marketing that actually works—not excuses, not waste—get on the list.
Khan of Khans,
Nick
