Russia is reportedly demanding that Google pay an enormous fine amounting to $20 decillion, which is a 2 followed by 34 zeroes. This fine has been accumulating and doubling weekly since 2020, following court victories by Kremlin-supported news outlets Tsargrad and RIA FAN regarding the blocking of their YouTube channels. Reports from The Moscow Times, citing the Russian news service RBC, indicate that the fine has increased as 15 additional channels have also won cases against Google. The total now purportedly stands at a staggering 20 followed by 34 zeros, as reported by Gizmodo.
Google has not yet paid the fines, leading to the astronomical sum. Even if the company wished to settle, it would be unable to do so because the fine exceeds the total amount of money available globally. Various estimates suggest that the world’s money supply falls far short of reaching $20 decillion.
The exact amount owed by Google has differed across reports, given the conversion from rubles to dollars and the hypothetical nature of the sum. Nonetheless, the message is clear: the amount is beyond conceivable payment capabilities. Google might be faced with the challenge of making significant cutbacks in various areas.