How Much is a Billion? For years, the word "One billion" has been bandied about. It has become so common that we pay it little attention, and even the politicians who use it seemingly don't comprehend it. How often has a speaker said, "the plan calls for a million - I mean a billion - dollars?" Here's a story that helps illustrates how much a billion dollars is: Around 20 AD a young man went into business. His fabulously wealthy uncle hadn't much faith in the young man's ability, so...