5 ms·

Stupid question but why do folks write $1,000,000 as $1MM instead of $1M?

• suking 15y ago
  For some online & finance things M = 1 thousand (like CPM, cost per 1,000 impressions). So MM means 1 thousand, 1 thousands = 1 million.
  • omarchowdhury 15y ago
    Surely the raising of $1,000 ($1M) would not make the news.
    • suking 15y ago
      Not sure what you mean - they raised $1mm and I was answering the person's question why MM means million.
      • 5l 15y ago
        I think he means there's no chance $1M could be mistaken for $1000 in this context.
      • BigTigger 15y ago
        You're confusing me, I opened this thread amazed someone could raise 1 billion. Now I'm quite happy that M = 1,000 and m = 1,000,000, and you're throwing me off with $1mm now.
• martindale 15y ago
  Not a stupid question at all. It bugs me too.
• ryanwaggoner 15y ago
  M stands for the latin mille, which means 1000. So million is abbreviated as MM for 1000x1000.
  • smountcastle 15y ago
    Thanks, same usage as CPM then.
• mhartl 15y ago
  The explanations are right, but I find $1m to be less noisy. The $1MM usage is firmly entrenched in finance, though.