What $1 Billion Gets You These Days

For the amount that Facebook just spent on Instagram, Mark Zuckerberg could've paid for the cure to Lou Gehrig's disease, ramped up New York City's 911 system, or ... purchased the Solo Cup company

For the amount that Facebook just spent on Instagram, Mark Zuckerberg could've paid for the cure to Lou Gehrig's disease, ramped up New York City's 911 system, or ... purchased the Solo Cup company. We know because we checked.

Here's a quick rundown of what $1 billion can buy you (or Zuckerberg):

• Instagram 

• The entire New York Times, says Reuters' Jack Shafer

•  The ability to buy out New York Times CEO Janet Robinson 42 times

• 800 of AOL's Microsoft's patents

•  1,250 scandal-inducing, team-building government conferences akin to the General Service Administration's $800,000 Las Vegas shindig

• Shell's Debt on Iranian Oil

• The cure for Lou Gehrig's disease

• Solo Cups (the company) 

• The amount BP has pledged toward Gulf Restoration

• A better 911 program in New York City

• Soccer team Real Madrid's Island in the UAE

• The winnings of every Powerball jackpot in 2007

• 45 percent of a B-2 Bomber

• 68 Lebron Jameses , 40 Kobe Bryants, and 83 Albert Pujolses

• All of J.Lo's love (it's gratis!)

That said, there are some things $1 billion can't buy you... like  a chain of 99-cent stores.  So take that, Zuckerberg.