how big is a billion
1 One billion is a 1 with nine zeros after it, denoted by 1,000,000,000. 2  One billion seconds is about 31 and a half years. 3  One billion pennies stacked on top of each other would make a tower almost 870 miles high.4  If you earn $45,000 a year, it would take 22,000 years to amass a fortune of one billion dollars.illions. Next up is one billion: 1  One billion is a thousand millions. 2  One billion is a 1 with nine zeros after it, denoted by 1,000,000,000. 3  One billion seconds is about 31 and a half years.