Show Me the Money
The klondike gold rush yielded around $1 billion in value in 2024 dollars. Here's how that stacks up
By Sonja Anderson
In billions
$3.5
$3.0
$2.5
$2.0
$1.5
$1.0
$0.5
0
Blubber Bucks
The massive whaling industry along the Northeastern coast of the U.S. harvested blubber from the sea creatures each season.
Around the time of Moby-Dick's publication in 1851, American whalers were contributing around
$10 million (roughly
$408 million
today) to the national GDP.
In 1803, France exchanged
828,000 square miles of land west of the
Mississippi River to the United States for $15 million, around $418 million
today. The sale put a definitive end to Napoleon's dream of a French empire in North America.
Bagging The West
One of the world's priciest superyachts, the Eclipse is owned by a Russian businessman and valued at $1.6 billion. The superyacht is a whopping 533 feet long and boasts two swimming pools and two helipads, plus a miniature submarine for casual undersea excursions.
Show Boat
In 2020, the wealthy Wilpon family sold the New York Mets for $2.4 billion, the most expensive purchase of a franchise to date in Major League Baseball.
Play Ball!
NASA's Apollo 11 mission cost an estimated $355 million (about $3 billion today). Before stepping out of the lunar module, Buzz Aldrin took com-munion: modest wine and bread in a priceless venue.
Buy Me To The Moon
During California's gold rush, hopefuls came from as far as China. In 1852-the most profitable year of that particular boom-miners harvested $81 million worth, or $3.3 billion today.
The Golden State
$3.5
$3.0
$2.5
$2.0
$1.5
$1.0
$0.5
0
In billions
$3.5
$3.0
$2.5
$2.0
$1.5
$1.0
$0.5
0
In billions
Show Me the Money
The klondike gold rush yielded around $1 billion in value in 2024 dollars. Here's how that stacks up
By Sonja Anderson
The massive whaling industry along the Northeastern coast of the U.S. harvested blubber from the sea creatures each season.
Around the time of Moby-Dick's publication in 1851, American whalers were contributing around
$10 million (roughly
$408 million
today) to the national GDP.
Blubber Bucks
In 1803, France exchanged
828,000 square miles of land west of the
Mississippi River to the United States for $15 million, around $418 million
today. The sale put a definitive end to Napoleon's dream of a French empire in North America.
Bagging The West
One of the world's priciest superyachts, the Eclipse is owned by a Russian businessman and valued at $1.6 billion. The superyacht is a whopping 533 feet long and boasts two swimming pools and two helipads, plus a miniature submarine for casual undersea excursions.
Show Boat
In 2020, the wealthy Wilpon family sold the New York Mets for $2.4 billion, the most expensive purchase of a franchise to date in Major League Baseball.
Play Ball!
NASA's Apollo 11 mission cost an estimated $355 million (about $3 billion today). Before stepping out of the lunar module, Buzz Aldrin took com-munion: modest wine and bread in a priceless venue.
Buy Me To The Moon
During California's gold rush, hopefuls came from as far as China. In 1852-the most profitable year of that particular boom-miners harvested $81 million worth, or $3.3 billion today.
The Golden State
$3.5
$3.0
$2.5
$2.0
$1.5
$1.0
$0.5
0
In billions