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EU says it will ‘make sure’ Elon Musk’s X pays €120M fine
(www.politico.eu)
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this post was submitted on 09 Dec 2025
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€120M compared to his promised $700B (€600B) bonus is 0.02% or (assuming 365 days per year, 12 hours per day) is equivalent to 56 minutes of work.
It has about the same disincentive as a $7 fine for a minimum wage worker.
This is only considering the bonus and ignoring any income on top of that. He can afford it without even thinking.
For the ultra wealthy it's more of a matter of pride and loss of power than the actual money. People like Musk loathe being held accountable, so even if the amount is equivalent to $7 for us, having to pay it hurts him more than it would us.
That's not even considering that his wealth is mostly in unrealized gains from non-liquid assets so he probably can't just write a check for $120m. Having to cash in stocks to pay it would actually lower his net worth more than $120m.
I think your second point is key. Once we're talking about billions or trillions of dollars the number doesn't really represent the same currency normal people use to pay their bills or buy food, it becomes a measure of power and political influence. Fines and taxes are scary because they serve as a reality check, they need to be paid in real money, where as things like net worth and stock valuation are in big part arbitrary and vibes-based.