Star Wars Made $1 Billion in 10 Days; Feds Spend That Much During Every Showing

The new Star Wars movie is 2 hours, 16 minutes long, and made $1 billion in its first 10 days — a cinema record. That’s a lot of money, but while you were watching, the federal government spent $1 billion. On average, Uncle Sam spends $1 billion every 2 hours, 15 minutes. That means he could spend a billion and still have time to get popcorn if there’s no line.

It is hard for anyone to wrap their mind around the sheer magnitude and scope of the federal government. But Joe Henchman, a vice president for the Tax Foundation, helps give some perspective with a comparison.

"The new Star Wars movie made $1 billion in its first ten days of release, an incredible achievement in adding value and providing entertainment for tens of millions of people," Henchman said on Facebook. "The federal government spends $1 billion every 2 hours and 15 minutes."

According to Box Office Mojo, "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" has generated $1.5 billion at the box office as of Jan. 3.