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In Perspective: Right Now, Apple Has More Cash On Hand Than Treasury

An Apple logo displayed in the southern German city of Munich.
Christof Stache

As of Wednesday, the Treasury reported it had $73.768 billion cash on hand. What the Obama administration has been saying is that that number will dwindle to a point where the U.S. will not be able to pay its financial obligations, unless it's allowed to borrow more money.

$73.768 billion sounds like a lot of money, but to put it in perspective, Apple Insider points out that in its third quarter earning's report, Apple said it had $76.156 billion in cash and marketable securities.

Philip Elmer-Dewitt of Fortune, however, puts it all in even greater perspective:

Not that Apple could bail us out. At the rate the U.S. spends money — more than $10 billion a day — Apple's cash wouldn't last two weeks.

Update at 1:44 p.m. ET. Apple's Third Quarter:

It's worth pointing out that, as we reported, Apple had a spectacular third quarter. The company more than doubled its year-ago earnings.

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Eyder Peralta
Eyder Peralta is NPR's East Africa correspondent based in Nairobi, Kenya.