this is what the internet says about the debt. it also says that the u.s. pays 1 trillion in interest every year. so maybe some of the people on this list can be paid 1 trillion per year. like this year, pay the first people that are owed 1 trillion. then next year pay the next people.
Two Main Categories of U.S. Debt
- Debt Held by the Public (~$30 trillion) This is money borrowed from external investors through Treasury securities:
- Foreign governments and investors: About $7.9 trillion is held by countries like:
- 🇯🇵 Japan: $1.13 trillion
- 🇬🇧 United Kingdom: $808 billion
- 🇨🇳 China: $757 billion
- Domestic investors: Includes banks, mutual funds, pension funds, insurance companies, and individuals.
- Federal Reserve: Holds a significant portion of Treasuries to manage monetary policy.
- Intragovernmental Holdings (~$7 trillion) This is debt the government owes itself:
- Social Security Trust Fund
- Federal employee retirement funds
- Other government accounts that invest surplus funds in Treasury securities
🧠 Why It Matters
- Debt held by the public affects interest rates and private investment.
- Intragovernmental debt is more of an accounting mechanism but still adds to the total.