At first glance, this little money puzzle seems so simple that almost anyone should be able to solve it. Yet once people start calculating, they often arrive at completely different answers. Some insist the answer is $100, others say $130, and a surprising number believe the shopkeeper lost $200. But only one answer follows the money correctly.

Imagine you’re running a small neighborhood store. One afternoon, a man walks inside, quietly takes a $100 bill from your cash register, and disappears before anyone notices. You’ve just lost $100, but the story doesn’t end there.

A short time later, the same man returns to your shop. This time, he selects $70 worth of merchandise and approaches the counter. He hands you a $100 bill, you accept it without suspicion, and you give him $30 in change.

The man leaves carrying his purchases and the cash you handed him.

Now comes the question that makes this riddle so interesting: How much money did the shopkeeper actually lose?

Think carefully before answering, because one small detail changes the entire calculation.

Continue below in Part 2