If you want your brain to ache, this viral store theft puzzle has got everyone stressed out

I need to go and have a lie down

1 year ago | UPDATED 5 hours ago

Another day, another random maths puzzle goes viral on Twitter – this one’s all about money and stolen goods. Not only is it about petty theft and the maths of change, it’s also causing a frenzy in the replies about what is actually the right answer. I had honestly no clue what I’d go for for the answer, so I’m taking the top reply as bible. The viral maths puzzle is basically to find out how much the store lost in total.

What is the viral maths puzzle?

I’m still trying to work out the answer…🤔 pic.twitter.com/ZMgkMBmGoH

— Out of Context Human Race (@NoContextHumans) September 23, 2023

The puzzle reads as follows: “A man steals $100 from a store’s register. Then he buys $70 worth of goods at that store using the $100 bill and gets $30 change. How much money did the store lose?”

The top reply to the tweet seemingly has the right answer. “The store lost $100, then they got $100 back. So far, store lost 0. Then the store had to give $30 back in change, so the store lost $30 in cash and then the $70 in goods. It lost $100 in total including cash and goods.”

The store lost $100.
Then they got that $100 back.
So far store lost $0.
But, then the store had to give back $30 in change.
So, the store lost $30 for sure.
Store also lost $70 worth of goods.
So, the store ultimately lost = $30 in cash + $70 in goods = $100 total.

— Ty-22 (@Ty22Best) September 23, 2023

Right, I get all that.. but I think, and maybe I’m thinking too deeply here, but if the money is being taken from the register then it’s likely not been cashed up yet into the shop’s funds. So has the shop lost more?

One guy in the replies said we don’t have enough info for the actual truth, which is making me wonder if I’ll ever get a sleep filled night again. “Not enough info. Depends upon cost of goods sold, and whether they reported it to their insurance company.” WELP.