Is Elon Musk no longer the world’s richest person? Did Sophie Downing beat the Tesla boss with 100,000 times more money? All you need to know
The amount shown on Downing's voucher is nearly 100,000 times Elon Musk's wealth and about 670 times larger than the entire global economy.
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New Delhi: Tesla boss Elon Musk is undoubtedly the richest person in the world and is likely to become the first trillionaire soon. However, Sophie Downing, a 29-year-old business owner from Nottingham, has reportedly become the richest person in history, according to a local coffee shop receipt. The twist is that her entire 'fortune' can only be used at 200 Degrees Coffee. It is important to note that this comes just weeks after Forbes reported that Musk's net worth surged to USD 845 billion.
Sophie Downing is just a 29-year-old lady who hails from Nottingham. She has seemingly become richer than Elon Musk overnight, as her wealth is said to be nearly 100,000 times greater than Musk's. However, this fortune is of no real use to her, as she can spend it only on two coffees and croissants.
- Twenty-year-old Sophie Downing reportedly has 63 quadrillion. No one on earth possesses such a huge amount to date.
- However, this money exists only in the form of a voucher.
- She received it as a Christmas gift from 200 Degrees Coffee Shop.
- She initially believed the voucher was worth just 10.
- But when she tried to use it on February 12, 2026, to buy a matcha latte, the cashier's machine displayed a balance of 63 quadrillion (that is, 63 followed by 15 zeros).
Is Downing richer than Elon Musk?
The amount shown on Downing's voucher is nearly 100,000 times Elon Musk's wealth and about 670 times larger than the entire global economy. However, it is important to note that this is not actual money. It appears to be a glitch in the coffee shop's system, possibly due to an incorrect barcode scan.
When Sophie checked again on February 17, the balance remained the same.
Smiling about the bizarre mix-up, Sophie said that she has no plans to wipe out the store's shelves for fun. The so-called fortune can only be used at that specific coffee shop and is limited to coffee, croissants, and other baked goods. In reality, her financial situation remains exactly the same as it was before.
Hence, it would be wrong to say that Sophie Downing is richer than Elon Musk. Although the displayed amount is enormous, she can spend it only on coffee, and the figure itself appears to be a technical error.
Sophie Downing goes viral on social media
The incident has now gone viral on social media. Along with the story, claims that Sophie Downing has become the world's richest person are also circulating, which is technically incorrect, as she does not actually possess such wealth. On paper, Sophie appears wealthier than any living person. The sheer size of the number has captured widespread attention. Social media is flooded with jokes and memes about her "coffee empire."
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