Google is in a tough situation in Russia. The company has racked up a fine that is so huge it sounds impossible: about 2 undecillion rubles, which equals roughly $2.5 decillion USD. To give you an idea of how big that number is, it has 33 zeros! This fine is far larger than anything Google has faced before and is trillions of times more than the company’s total worth.

The fines are happening because Google won’t restore YouTube accounts for certain pro-Kremlin media outlets that Russia wants back. These outlets, like Tsargrad TV and RIA FAN, were blocked by YouTube in 2020 due to US sanctions against their owners.

In response, a Russian court ordered Google to restore these accounts and started piling on fines for not obeying. The fine began at 100,000 rubles a day but has been doubling each week (via: Android Authority), which is how it reached this crazy amount.

This issue became worse after Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022. YouTube blocked more Russian state-run media channels, such as RT and Sputnik, because they supported the war. This led to even more lawsuits from various Russian TV channels, putting even more pressure on Google.

In contrast, Google has faced hefty fines in the past, including a notable €4.34 billion ($4.7 billion) fine from the European Union for antitrust issues. But this new fine in Russia is on a completely different level.

Alphabet, Google’s parent company, is worth about $2 trillion, which is a tiny fraction compared to the fine. To put it simply, Alphabet’s total value is a mere blip compared to the amount Russia is asking for.

Despite the massive fine, it’s very unlikely that Google will ever pay it. The company’s Russian branch went bankrupt in 2022, and Google has filed lawsuits in the US and UK to protect itself from legal actions in Russia.

In short, Google’s situation in Russia is more than just a financial headache; it’s a legal nightmare that seems impossible to resolve.