Who actually owns this debt? Who is getting the interest payments? It seems like every country runs on some kind of deficit - where is all this money coming from?
It’s basically spread between various governments (notably Japan, China, Norway), financial institutions and private holders. You can invest into US treasury bonds and that way you’ll hold a piece of the debt. It’s actually been considered the safest investment on the planet for the last century or so.
The biggest single chunk of it is owned by the Federal Reserve - about $4 trillion if I remember correctly. Which kind of… doesn’t make any sense?
Thanks! You’re right, it doesn’t make sense. But Norway played it smart with their oil wealth, didn’t they? Tiny country, and there they are lending money to the US.
Who actually owns this debt? Who is getting the interest payments? It seems like every country runs on some kind of deficit - where is all this money coming from?
Capitalism itself, pretty much
It’s basically spread between various governments (notably Japan, China, Norway), financial institutions and private holders. You can invest into US treasury bonds and that way you’ll hold a piece of the debt. It’s actually been considered the safest investment on the planet for the last century or so.
The biggest single chunk of it is owned by the Federal Reserve - about $4 trillion if I remember correctly. Which kind of… doesn’t make any sense?
Thanks! You’re right, it doesn’t make sense. But Norway played it smart with their oil wealth, didn’t they? Tiny country, and there they are lending money to the US.
bond holders