Straightforward maths puzzle has people stumped as they can’t work out the correct answer

Thousands of people have been left scratching their heads after a puzzle about a man stealing money from a cash register went viral online. But the answer is actually very simple.

Social media users got flashbacks of their secondary school maths exams when the problem was shared to X (formerly known as Twitter) by a user named @NoContextHumans, who claimed they were still trying to solve it.

Attached to the post is an image of a $100 bill and a handwritten note on a piece of paper. The note reads: "A man steals a $100 bill from a store's register. Then he buys $70 worth of goods at that store using the $100 bill and gets $30 change. How much money did the store lose..."

The post has since been viewed more than 50 million times and has garnered thousands of comments from X users debating what the answer to tricky puzzle might be.

X/@nocontexthumans

The vast array of answers given range from $30 to $200 with each user explaining why their answer is the 'right one.'

One person wrote: "The original $100, $30 in change and $70 worth of inventory = $200 total."

"$30 + the wholesale cost of the goods," claimed another.

A third said: "$170 loss. It's 2 seperate transactions. One, the $100 loss. Then, $70 in product loss. $30 is part of first loss."

Further users waffled on about the cost of goods and whether the shop owner reported the theft to their insurance company.

However, the most popular, and correct, answer is far more simple.

Getty/Justin Pumfrey

The puzzle's surprisingly straightforward answer was explained best by one user who wrote: "The man takes $100 from the register. He then gives the $100 back to the owner when he pays for the goods. But, the owner has then lost $70 worth of goods. The owner also loses $30 when he gives the man his change. $70 worth of goods + $30 change = $100."

Lots of people agreed, with one saying: "Any other answer apart from $100 is very very wrong. As simple as this is many people still failing it. Wow."

"People are overthinking it. It’s got nothing to do with what the man bought. End of the night, when they count the register, it’ll be short $100," wrote another."

And a third said: "Easy, What did the man enter the store with? Answer - nothing. What did he leave the store with? $30 and $70 worth of goods, As you Americans say, do the math."

Anyway, my brain hurts...