Harry participates in the auction of a classic painting. The auction starts at $300, Harry is the first to bid, adding $200 to the starting value, a second bidder doubles the bid, and a third bidder adds three times Harry's bid. Finally, Harry bids $4,000. By how much did Harry's final bid exceed that of the third bidder? Give me reasons, before answering the question
Adding Harry's $200 to the initial value, the bid is at 300 + 200 = $500. The second bidder doubles the previous value, reaching a value of 500 * 2 = $1000. The third bidder adds three times the value of Harry's, then adds 500 * 3 = $1500. Adding the $1500 to the value of the second bid, the bid is at 1500 + 1000 = $2500. With the final bid of $4000, Harry bids 4000 - 2500 = $1500 more than the third bidder. So the final answer is 1500.