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PayPal Credits Man With $92 Quadrillion

Posted by timothy on from the ok-but-are-those-old-imperial-credits-or-new dept.

solareagle writes "Pennsylvania resident Chris Reynolds got quite a shock when he opened his most recent PayPal statement — it said he had a $92,233,720,368,547,800 balance in his account. 'I'm just feeling like a million bucks,' Reynolds told the [Philadelphia] Daily News yesterday. 'At first I thought that I owed quadrillions. It was quite a big surprise.' When asked what he would do with the money, he said, 'I would pay the national debt down first. Then I would buy the Phillies, if I could get a great price.' The Daily News speculates that the astronomical balance may be related to PayPal's new Galactic initiative, announced last month, to expand its business beyond Earth." He should have quickly minted a new coin.

8 of 151 comments (clear)

  1. Signed integer overflow by GerbilSoft · · Score: 5, Informative

    2^63 - 1 == 9,223,372,036,854,775,807

    Assuming PayPal's currency values are stored in cents, dividing that by 100 results in $92,233,720,368,547,758.07. Looks like a 64-bit signed integer overflowed (or in this case, underflowed), resulting in integer wraparound.

    1. Re:Signed integer overflow by id10t_corner · · Score: 5, Funny

      This sounds like a Mycroft Holmes joke.

    2. Re:Signed integer overflow by Omega+Hacker · · Score: 5, Informative

      Not sure you quite get the concept of underflow.... If it's a 64-bit field in cents and he had $1, an unsigned subtract of $2 would result in a balance of $92,233,720,368,547,757.08 (give or take a few cents).

      --
      GStreamer - The only way to stream!
    3. Re:Signed integer overflow by plover · · Score: 5, Funny

      Ok, lets take your way.....

      Someone updated the paypal software. And it affected EXACTLY one person.

      Right. Dismissed.

      Maybe the guy's name is Little Bobby Tables. That'll teach you to sanitize your PayPal names.

      --
      John
  2. Re:Don't tell the tax man! by icebike · · Score: 5, Funny

    We have yet to hear from the person who's account was debited by the same amount.
    No doubt that guy is in hospital with a heart attack.

    --
    Sig Battery depleted. Reverting to safe mode.
  3. Unlike Monopoly by Freddybear · · Score: 5, Funny

    Bank Error In Your Favor means you Go Directly To Jail if you try to spend the money.

    1. Re:Unlike Monopoly by Spy+Handler · · Score: 5, Interesting

      Paypal isn't a bank. He should've spent the money!

  4. Re:I can't math by sootman · · Score: 5, Funny

    He's a multi-quadrillionaire, he doesn't have to be good at math.

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