A viral brain teaser has been making waves across social media, leaving countless people scratching their heads and debating the correct answer. This tricky scenario, shared by the X (formerly Twitter) account “Out of Context Human Race,” presents a simple yet deceptive math problem involving a stolen $100 bill. The teaser has racked up over 50 million views, with people from all over chiming in to share their theories. At first glance, it seems like an easy question, but once you break it down, it’s clear why so many are confused. The big question is: How much money did the store actually lose? Let’s take a closer look at the situation and figure it out.

Here’s what happens. A man walks into a store and steals a $100 bill straight from the cash register. Later, he returns to the same store and uses that exact $100 bill to purchase $70 worth of goods. The store gives him $30 in change, completing the transaction. So now, the riddle asks: After all is said and done, how much money did the store lose?

It sounds pretty straightforward, but as with many brain teasers, the devil is in the details. People have been debating the correct answer, offering up various theories ranging from a $100 loss to $130. To make sense of it, we need to break down each step of what’s happening in this scenario and take a closer look at where the losses really occur.

First, let’s talk about the theft. When the man steals the $100 bill from the cash register, the store is out $100 right from the start. That money is gone. But then he comes back and spends the stolen $100 to buy $70 worth of merchandise. At this point, the store gets that same $100 bill back, essentially canceling out the theft, at least in terms of cash on hand. However, the store has now handed over $70 worth of products. Those goods are gone, and they have real value. On top of that, the man also receives $30 in change—real cash that the store hands over during the transaction. That’s another tangible loss.

Now, let’s look at the different ways people are interpreting these events. One popular answer is that the store lost $100 in total. In this explanation, the reasoning goes like this: while the $100 bill was stolen, it made its way back to the store during the purchase, effectively neutralizing the theft as far as the cash is concerned. But the store still handed over $70 in goods and $30 in cash as change. Adding these two amounts together equals $100. This theory argues that the store’s real loss is split between merchandise and cash, giving a total loss of $100.

Another interpretation suggests the store lost $130. People who support this theory claim that the store lost $100 when the man initially stole the bill, and then an additional $30 when they gave him change during the purchase. According to this view, the goods he took complicate matters, but the total monetary loss is $130—$100 from the theft and $30 from the change given back. However, this explanation often confuses people because it overlooks the fact that the $100 bill came back to the store. It’s the same money that was stolen, so it doesn’t represent an additional loss when it’s returned.

The third and more logical explanation brings us back to the idea that the store lost $70 worth of goods and $30 in cash, totaling $100. This breakdown makes the most sense when you think about what the store actually parted with: the products and the cash change. The $100 bill used for the purchase was already stolen money, but since it came back to the register, it doesn’t add to the loss.

So, what’s the correct answer? The store’s real loss is $100. Here’s why: even though the man stole $100, he returned it when he made the purchase. But the store still gave away $70 worth of merchandise and $30 in actual cash as change. Those two numbers together—$70 in goods and $30 in cash—equal a total loss of $100. It’s easy to get tripped up by the fact that the same $100 bill is in play throughout the scenario, but the important thing to focus on is what the store lost in terms of real value.

This viral brain teaser has sparked so much debate because it’s not just about simple math—it’s about understanding how money and goods flow in a transaction. The store didn’t lose twice as some might think; it lost a combination of products and cash that add up to $100. So if you were scratching your head over this one, you’re definitely not alone! But now that we’ve walked through it step by step, it’s clear: the store’s net loss is $100. How close were you to getting the right answer?