According to reports from Russian state media outlet RBC News, Google’s unpaid fines in Russia now total an unfathomable 2 undecillion rubles, or approximately $2.5 decillion. To put this in perspective, one undecillion is a number followed by 66 zeros in the British system, or 33 zeros in the American system. This staggering figure vastly overshadows the estimated $100 trillion global GDP, making it clear that Google is unlikely to ever pay such a fine.
Origins of the Legal Dispute
This financial clash dates back several years, when Google faced legal trouble in Russia after YouTube, which it owns, banned several pro-Kremlin and state media channels. Among the blocked accounts were outlets like Tsargrad TV and RIA FAN, which Google had removed for violating sanctions and trade rules.
A Moscow court subsequently ordered Google to reinstate the accounts. When the company failed to comply, fines began to accumulate, initially set at 100,000 rubles per day. The court gave Google nine months to resolve the matter, but when it didn’t, the penalty kept growing, resulting in today’s mind-boggling sum.
Escalation During the Russia-Ukraine Conflict
The situation worsened in 2022 with the start of the Russia-Ukraine conflict. Google intensified its restrictions by blocking additional Russian state media channels, including NTV, Russia 24, RT, and Sputnik, in response to growing geopolitical tensions. This move led to more lawsuits, with at least 17 Russian TV channels seeking damages from Google.
In an attempt to manage its growing debt, Google’s Russian subsidiary, Google LLC, filed for bankruptcy in 2022. At that time, the company’s debt in Russia had reached 19 billion rubles, while its local assets were valued at only 3.5 billion rubles. Google later restricted operations in Russia, blocking the creation of new accounts and deactivating AdSense for Russian residents.
A Financial Standoff
The $2.5 decillion fine now represents one of the largest financial disputes in tech history. While it’s unlikely that Google could ever pay such a vast sum — which surpasses all global wealth — the penalty underscores the increasingly strained relationship between the tech giant and Russian regulators.