Who does not love money? Our imagination would be happy to count the number of zeroes, even if we run out of breath, but our bank balances probably have a different idea.
So when the chatter got around that the world has got its first trillionaire, Elon Musk (no drumrolls for the obvious), the internet did what it does best- laughed through the financial inequality.
One user did the obvious: compare their $10 bank balance with Elon Musk’s ‘eye-watering’ wealth, and the result? A meme that was part reflection of a meagre financial situation, existential crisis, but extremely hilarious. Another viral post highlighted internet absurdity by throwing the question, “What would you do if you got a chance to travel using a time machine?”, the meme was ready with an answer: “Beg Elon Musk to hire me as his janitor" duh.
One viral post showed Musk calmly vibing inside a nightclub after knowing that he was the world’s first trill’Elon’aire, as if it was just another Friday and crossing the 13-digit mark was no big deal.
Another meme video showed the SpaceX owner dancing after knowing that he had made his staff millionaires (even the cafeteria workers! insert crying emoji), through stock gains (Tell us: Are these staff now going through yacht catalogues?)
In another social media viral meme, Mukesh Ambani and Gautam Adani are portrayed as awestruck spectators, drawing parallels with a Bollywood reaction image captioned, "Ae woh dekh kitna paisa hai uske paas" ("Look how much money he has").
Another poked fun at the crypto enthusiasts who had been waiting for that one strike by pairing a smiling Musk with the caption, "Elon: Trillionaire," while "Me with 1 BTC" stares into the distance as if questioning every life decision.
One user took a playful swipe at the Arab royal elite and cheekily implied that Musk was now so wealthy that he even outpaced some of the world’s richest by a sharp margin.
Another meme struck a chord with Indian audiences by imagining a user pleading, "Elon, thoda paisa de de, plz" ("Elon, please give me some money"), only for Musk to respond with the iconic Bollywood line, "Dedh sau rupaya dega" ("I'll give you Rs150"). The internet’s sense of humour? Topnotch. Our bank balance eyeing the meme says, “That’s us”.
One meme hilariously tied two unrelated events together, showing Musk celebrating with the caption: "Elon Musk after becoming a trillionaire from SpaceX on the same day Facebook and Instagram go down." (You on the sidelines, busy refreshing your Instagram in frustration)
One meme imagined Elon Musk swaggering into Jeff Bezos's modest home (just a billionaire, they say) after inching closer to the trillionaire milestone, with one user replying, “The average American is now closer to Jeff Bezos in net worth than Jeff Bezos is to Elon Musk.”
Hence, it’s official: Elon Musk has not only achieved the milestone of becoming the world’s first trillionaire; he has also accidentally become the internet's favourite measuring stick for just how broke everyone else feels.