Pennsylvanian man became the world's richest person and first ever quadrillionaire for just 2 minutes
Published on Aug 19, 2025 at 1:19 AM (UTC+4)
by Callum Tokody
Last updated on Aug 18, 2025 at 2:36 PM (UTC+4)
Edited by
Emma Matthews
Chris Reynolds became the world’s richest person in 2013 when a PayPal error credited his account with $92 quadrillion.
The Pennsylvania resident logged in expecting to see an ordinary balance, but instead found a number larger than the entire global economy.
For a short time, he was wealthier than all billionaires combined.
His account made him the only quadrillionaire ever recorded, and the mistake turned into one of the strangest financial stories to gain international coverage.
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The two-minute fortune for the world’s richest person
Chris Reynolds, then 56 and living in Delaware County, opened his PayPal account to see a balance of $92,233,720,368,547,800.
Until that day, the most money he had ever seen in his account was about $1,000, mostly from selling car parts on eBay.
The $92 quadrillion figure instantly made him the world’s richest person, surpassing the fortunes of every billionaire alive.
The story was quickly picked up by media across the United States.
PayPal reversed the transaction within minutes and confirmed it was a mistake.
The company released a statement saying:
“This is obviously an error, and we appreciate that Mr. Reynolds understood this was the case.”
The PayPal error was corrected almost immediately, but not before Reynolds briefly held a financial record unlike any in history.
Reynolds later explained that at first he thought the huge number meant he owed quadrillions rather than having been credited with them.
He told reporters it was ‘a curious thing,’ and admitted that the sight of the balance was a complete shock.
PayPal error aftermath
Even though the $92 quadrillion credit disappeared almost as soon as it appeared, the episode left its mark.
Chris Reynolds joked that, if the money had been real, he would have paid down the US national debt and then purchased the Philadelphia Phillies baseball team.
His remarks added humor to a story that had already caught wide attention.
After correcting the balance, PayPal offered to donate money to a charity of Reynolds’ choice.
The amount was not disclosed, but the offer ensured a positive end to the situation.
The PayPal error itself became a case study in how quickly a small digital miscalculation could generate staggering sums.
For Chris Reynolds, the experience was never about riches.
He later said the strange moment made him feel ‘like a million bucks,’ even though the fortune was gone in minutes.
The $92 quadrillion balance may have been the result of a PayPal error, but for two minutes in 2013, it made him the world’s richest person.
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Callum Tokody is a content writer at Supercar Blondie, where he covers the latest in the automotive world with a focus on design and performance. Callum has a background in automotive journalism and has contributed to a range of publications in Australia and the UK. Outside of work, he’s a design enthusiast with a soft spot for anything with a V8 and a good story.
