Brain Teaser: The Curious Case of a Missing Dollar. Can You Solve it?

It’s Friday today, and what better way to kick off the weekend than with a fun puzzle that will leave you stumped for a while? If you’re up for it, we have the perfect challenge for you. This brain teaser will test your logical thinking as it challenges people to find where the missing dollar has gone.

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The brain teaser was shared on Instagram’s Threads by the handle @rombesk. “I borrowed $50 from mum and $50 from dad to buy a bag costing $97. After the purchase, I had $3 left. I returned $1 to dad and $1 to mum, and reserved $1 for myself. I now owe $49+$49=$98 plus the $1 I reserved for myself, which is $99. Where is the missing $1?” reads the brain teaser shared online. Can you solve it?

Take a look at the brain teaser here:

Since being shared a day ago on Threads, it has accumulated over 250 likes and numerous retweets. Many even took to the comments section of the post to share their thoughts.

Check out how people reacted to this brain teaser:

“ The total debt is $98 ($49 owed to mum + $49 owed to dad). The $98 includes the $97 you spent on the bag plus the $1 you kept for yourself. The mistake is adding the $1 you kept to the $98 debt, which is incorrect. The $1 you kept is already part of the $98. So, there is no missing dollar—the confusion comes from adding the $1 you kept to the amount you owe, which shouldn’t be done,” posted an individual.

Another added, “The last two bits are to throw you off. Everything is accounted for: $97(bag) + $2(already paid to parents) + $1(reserved) = $100.”

“The missing $1 is in the math you did wrong,” expressed a third.

A fourth commented, “The last dollar is in your pocket.”

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“Answer: There is no missing dollar,” wrote a fifth.

“The bag cost $97. You returned $2 ($1 to each parent), so you have $1 left. The total of $98 owed accounts for the $97 cost of the bag and the $1 you kept. So, there is no missing dollar—it’s just a matter of how the numbers are being presented,” claimed a sixth.

A seventh shared, “Why would you owe the $1 you kept for yourself, in addition to the $98 you borrowed? It was *part* of the $98 you borrowed.”

Where did the missing dollar go? Here’s the explanation

Were you able to solve the mystery of the missing dollar? If not, allow us to help you. As many puzzle lovers pointed out, there’s no missing dollar as $97 is spent on the bag, $2 is returned to the parents and the person kept $1 with themselves. The trick lies in how the numbers are represented.