Three friends check into a hotel room. The total cost of the room is $30. They each contribute $10, handing over a total of $30.
Later, the hotel manager realizes that the room should have only cost $25. To fix this, he sends the bellboy with $5 to return to the guests.
On the way to the room, the bellboy realizes that he can’t divide $5 evenly among the three guests. So, he decides to give $1 back to each guest, and keep the remaining $2 for himself.
Now, each guest has paid $9 (since they each got $1 back), so their total payment is $27. The bellboy kept $2, making the total of $29.
But wait! The original $30 is still unaccounted for. Where is the missing dollar?
The riddle of the missing dollar
Hint:
The riddle is designed to confuse you with a misleading calculation. The key is to realize that the $27 doesn’t need to be combined with the $2 the bellboy kept.
Instead, focus on how the $30 was initially divided and how the $5 was returned.
The $27 includes the $25 for the room and the $2 the bellboy kept, so you don’t need to add the $2 again.
The key to this riddle is realizing that the math is being misdirected. Let’s break it down correctly:
Total amount paid by guests: The three guests originally paid $30. After getting $1 back each, they ended up paying $27 in total.
Where the $27 went:
$25 went to the hotel for the room cost.
The remaining $2 was kept by the bellboy.
Now, here’s where the trick is:
The riddle suggests adding the $2 the bellboy kept to the $27 the guests paid, which gives $29—but this is wrong. The $27 already includes the bellboy’s $2. So you don’t need to add the $2 again.
Correct breakdown:
$25 for the room cost,
$2 for the bellboy,
$3 returned to the guests (1 dollar each).
That accounts for all $30 perfectly.
Final Answer:
There is no missing dollar. The riddle tries to trick you with misleading math! The numbers add up correctly once you focus on the right breakdown. 😊
