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That changes the calculation completely.
Step 1: The Initial Theft
When the man first takes the $100 bill, the shopkeeper immediately loses $100 in cash.
At this point, the register is $100 short.
It's a straightforward theft, and the shopkeeper's financial position has decreased by $100.
Step 2: The Thief Returns With the Same $100
Now the man comes back and uses the exact same $100 bill to purchase $70 worth of merchandise.
The shopkeeper accepts the bill and puts it back into the register.
This is the detail that makes the riddle tricky.
The original $100 has returned to the shop. The initial cash shortage has been made up.
However, the shopkeeper still needs to give the customer $30 in change.
Step 3: The Shopkeeper Gives Away $30 and $70 Worth of Goods
After accepting the $100 bill, the shopkeeper hands over:
$30 in cash as change.
$70 worth of merchandise.
The thief leaves with both.
Although the original $100 bill is back in the register, the shopkeeper has now lost $30 in cash and $70 in merchandise.
These are the two amounts that matter when calculating the final loss.
So, What Is the Shopkeeper's Total Loss?
Let's put everything together.
Transaction
Amount
Original stolen cash
-$100
Same $100 bill returned
+$100
Change given to the thief
-$30
Merchandise taken
-$70
Total actual loss
-$100
The original stolen $100 and the returned $100 cancel each other out.
What remains is:
$30 + $70 = $100
That's the shopkeeper's total loss.
Another way to look at it is to compare the shop's financial position before the theft and after the thief leaves.
The register has its original $100 back, but the shopkeeper has given away $30 in change and $70 worth of merchandise.
The final loss is therefore exactly $100.
Why Do So Many People Get This Puzzle Wrong?
The trick isn't really about complicated mathematics. It's about how we follow the money.
When reading the story, many people automatically add every amount they see:
$100 stolen.
$100 used for the purchase.
$30 given as change.
$70 worth of merchandise.
That can make the loss appear much larger than it really is.
However, the second $100 isn't additional money. It's the same bill that was stolen at the beginning.
Counting it as another separate loss is what leads to the wrong answer.
The easiest way to solve this kind of puzzle is to compare what the shopkeeper had before the incident with what remains afterward, rather than adding every transaction together.
The Final Answer: $100!
So, how much did the shopkeeper actually lose?
The correct answer is $100.
The thief initially stole $100, returned that same bill as payment, and walked away with $70 worth of merchandise and $30 in cash.
The shopkeeper ends up with the original cash back but is missing $30 from the register and $70 in merchandise.
Together, that's a $100 loss.
It's a simple puzzle, but it's surprisingly effective at catching people who rush through the numbers.
And that's what makes these little brain teasers so entertaining. Sometimes, the hardest part isn't doing the mathematics. It's knowing which numbers actually belong in the calculation!
Want to Try Another Brain Teaser?
If this little money puzzle made you stop and think, you're probably going to enjoy other riddles that challenge your observation skills, logic, and everyday mathematics.
Sometimes the simplest-looking questions are the ones that make us think the hardest.
Share this riddle with a friend or family member and see whether they can find the correct answer without looking at the explanation!
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