UP man overnight becomes 'richer' than Elon Musk, 36-digit bank balance will leave you stunned

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A man from rural Uttar Pradesh has found himself at the centre of a banking saga after his account displayed a jaw-dropping 36-digit balance - an amount that, if real, would make him the richest person on the planet, far surpassing the likes of Elon Musk.

According to a report by NDTV, Ajit, a resident of Hathras, made the discovery on April 25 while checking his account following two modest debits of Rs 1,800 and Rs 1,400. What he saw next left him stunned: a balance of Rs 1,00,13,56,00,00,01,39,54,21,00,23,56,00,00,01,39,542.

The figure was so astronomical that it overwhelmed ordinary calculators and left banking officials scratching their heads. For context, this sum dwarfs the net worth of Elon Musk, who currently tops the rich lists with an estimated net worth of US$330 billion as of March 2025, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index.

Initially, Ajit’s wife confessed to a fleeting moment of joy, imagining a life of unimaginable luxury. However, the family’s excitement quickly turned to anxiety, with fears of fraud or being caught up in a larger cybercrime.

Bank officials traced the error to a technical glitch, reportedly linked to a branch in Jammu and Kashmir, but were unable to resolve it immediately. As the surreal balance persisted, Ajit approached local police, who have since advised him to file a cybercrime complaint. His account has been frozen as a precaution, per the NDTV report.