• News
  • Film and TV
  • Music
  • Tech
  • Features
  • Celebrity
  • Politics
  • Weird
  • Community
  • Advertise
  • Terms
  • Privacy & Cookies
  • LADbible Group
  • LADbible
  • SPORTbible
  • GAMINGbible
  • Tyla
  • UNILAD Tech
  • FOODbible
  • License Our Content
  • About Us & Contact
  • Jobs
  • Latest
  • Topics A-Z
  • Authors
Facebook
Instagram
X
Threads
TikTok
YouTube
Submit Your Content
Ten things that would happen if everyone on the planet became a billionaire when NASA captures asteroid worth $10,000,000,000,000,000,000

Home> Technology> Space

Published 17:39 14 Jul 2025 GMT+1

Ten things that would happen if everyone on the planet became a billionaire when NASA captures asteroid worth $10,000,000,000,000,000,000

NASA hopes to capture 16 Psyche by 2029

Ellie Kemp

Ellie Kemp

Featured Image Credit: 24k Production/People Images/Getty Images

Topics: Space, Money

Ellie Kemp
Ellie Kemp

Advert

Advert

Advert

NASA is gearing up to snag a metal-rich asteroid valued at an astonishing $10 quintillion - and hypothetically, it could make every single one of us billionaires.

After lifting off from Kennedy Space Center in October 2023, the Psyche spacecraft has been hurtling through the void at around 84,000 mph.

It’s scheduled to arrive at the M-type asteroid in late July 2029, where it will spend months orbiting the space rock, studying its makeup and mapping its hidden treasure trove of gold, iron, nickel, platinum and cobalt.

Back on Earth, teams of scientists are hoping their findings will unlock secrets about how planets form and what lies at their cores.

Advert

But if 16 Psyche really does contain enough precious metals to dwarf the world’s $100 trillion GDP by a factor of 100,000, even a fraction of that haul could cause chaos.

While a future where everyone’s suddenly a billionaire overnight sounds exciting, it could have some devastating effects.

The Psyche spacecraft won't land for another four years yet (Maxar/ASU/P. Rubin/NASA/JPL-Caltech)
The Psyche spacecraft won't land for another four years yet (Maxar/ASU/P. Rubin/NASA/JPL-Caltech)

Here are 10 concerning things that would happen should NASA capture the asteroid and, for some reason, every single one of us be made a billionaire...

Massive inflation

If everyone in the world was worth billions, it would lead to hyperinflation - where prices spiral and currency devalues.

Advert

So, the purchasing power of money would plummet.

Prices for goods and services would skyrocket, however, because there would be too much money chasing too few goods.

A few countries have faced this in real life, like Venezuela, when the collapse of oil revenues in 2016 plunged the government into massive fiscal deficits.

The central bank attempted to tackle this by printing bolívars far beyond the economy’s productive capacity, shattering confidence in the bolívar and driving prices ever higher.

Currency devaluation

As touched on above, governments would probably be forced to devalue currencies or issue new ones to try to stabilize the economy. Having every individual as a billionaire would make the existing currency meaningless in many ways.

Advert

Neither a dollar, euro, nor yen would no longer have the same value it once did.

Disruption in the job market

There'll be no more of this... (MoMo Productions/Getty Images)
There'll be no more of this... (MoMo Productions/Getty Images)

Being mega-rich and not needing to work is a goal for many ambitious entrepreneurs. But if none of us needed to work, then so many jobs, especially low-wage ones, would likely be abandoned.

Advert

What if companies, restaurants and bars began disintegrating, because they couldn't get the staff? We'd surely still want to order take-out or go out for meals - with all this newfound time and money...

While traditional jobs may disappear, new avenues for creativity and entrepreneurship could emerge, with people focusing on passions and personal fulfilment rather than necessity.

Rising healthcare and education access

With more wealth in the hands of individuals, there could be a universal improvement in access to services like healthcare and education.

Advert

Yet, this would depend on how those services are distributed and whether they remain high-quality.

Plus, there might be a struggle to employ healthcare and education workers, considering the lack of need for jobs now...

Global collaboration - or competition

With more people at similar economic levels, humanity might be able to focus on collaboration. This could look like solving global problems such as poverty, and addressing climate change collectively.

Advert

On the flip side, there's a risk that new types of competition - not based on money, but maybe ideas, social influence or creative output - would emerge, and those who 'win' could gain disproportionate influence.

Economic inequality wouldn't go away

Inequality will still exist... (Francescoch/Getty Images)
Inequality will still exist... (Francescoch/Getty Images)

It's surprising, but even if everyone had billions, major inequality would still exist.

Advert

Some people would invest wisely, use their money more effectively or have the education and skills to leverage it.

Others, meanwhile, might burn through their money for the sake of it. Think of those lottery winners who win big and then lose it within months because of gambling and drugs.

And, wealth would still be measured against others, so you could be a billionaire, but still have less than someone else.

Social shifts

With everyone financially secure, societal values might shift. People could focus more on things like personal growth, creativity, sustainability and relationships, rather than constantly chasing money.

Advert

There'd still be social classes and hierarchy - even if they looked slightly different to how they do now - like new governance systems where wealth isn't as central to power.

Resource scarcity and environmental impact

More money would likely mean more demand for resources, leading to overconsumption of energy, food and materials. This could put an even greater strain on our planet's already limited resources.

And with more money, people might buy more products, travel more and consume more. This could lead to increased waste, carbon emissions and environmental damage unless major reforms in sustainability happen alongside the wealth shift.

Advert

Being mega-rich can have its downsides... (Chung Sung-Jun/Getty Images)
Being mega-rich can have its downsides... (Chung Sung-Jun/Getty Images)

Technological evolution

With financial pressures lifted, more people might dive into research, development, and artistic projects.

We might see a golden age of innovation and creative breakthroughs.

Advert

People could devote even time to subjects such as space exploration and AI development - unwelcome competition for the likes of Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos, I'm sure.

It also means the definition of success might change from material wealth to personal fulfilment - so maybe cultural norms could shift towards well-being, mental health and community rather than just 'winning' financially.

Global power structures

If we were all mega loaded, then traditional power structures could shift. Governments, corporations and wealthy elites would find it difficult to control or dominate a population where everyone has the same financial power.

But the challenge would be how to manage governance, resources and decision-making in a world where everyone’s income and wealth are roughly the same.

If inequality disappeared but still left power struggles over resources, there could be political instability, as people try to reorganize society in new ways.

Choose your content:

a day ago
3 days ago
4 days ago
  • Getty Stock ImageGetty Stock Image
    a day ago

    Scientists warn of 'massive' black holes forming inside of planets that could have apocalyptic impact

    In some cases, these black holes could take just months to form

    Technology
  • Kevin Dietsch/Getty ImagesKevin Dietsch/Getty Images
    3 days ago

    Elon Musk’s own chatbot gave user ‘detailed’ tips on how to assassinate him

    Leaked chats show Grok also discussed illegal activity such as insider trading

    Technology
  • NASA/James Webb Space TelescopeNASA/James Webb Space Telescope
    3 days ago

    NASA reveal unexpected new results of mysterious object aiming at Earth that scientist claims is 'not natural’

    The largest interstellar space object ever detected is even more unique than we realized

    Technology
  • PixeloneStocker/Getty ImagesPixeloneStocker/Getty Images
    4 days ago

    Woman reveals ChatGPT trick to land five job interviews a week after securing role in 30 days

    Her strict formula helped fast track the complicated process

    Technology
  • NASA shared timeline for when $10,000,000,000,000,000,000 asteroid will be brought to Earth
  • NASA explains how asteroid it's capturing is worth $10,000,000,000,000,000,000
  • Asteroid worth $10,000,000,000,000,000,000 that NASA is capturing appears to be rusting
  • Footage captures incredible moment asteroid crashes into Earth's atmosphere after NASA warning