$2.5 Billion, Egos, and Why Big Numbers Need Context
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The clash between President Trump and Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell has now expanded beyond interest rates — and into a $2.5 billion building renovation at the Fed.
Some see waste.
Some see politics.
Most people just see a number that’s hard to comprehend.
Some see politics.
Most people just see a number that’s hard to comprehend.
In this episode, I take a middle-ground look at what’s really going on:
• Why large government construction projects almost always cost more than planned
• Why political egos inevitably get involved
• And why $2.5 billion still deserves serious public context and scrutiny
• Why political egos inevitably get involved
• And why $2.5 billion still deserves serious public context and scrutiny
Using real-world comparisons — from stacks of dollar bills reaching into space, to thousands of apartments, to centuries of spending at $1,000 an hour — we reset the conversation around scale, transparency, and accountability, without turning it into a partisan fight.
Because when budgets get this big, math matters more than megaphones.
Key Topics Covered
- Why billion-dollar numbers break our intuition
- Construction overruns: normal, but not meaningless
- How political power struggles complicate budget debates
- The opportunity cost of multi-billion-dollar projects
- Why public institutions owe the public real financial context
Who Should Listen
- Credit union and bank leaders
- Board members
- Policy and compliance professionals
- Anyone who wants less political theater and more financial reality
