🇺🇸 The US
15 real examples of unusual American government spending, biggest first. Each one links to its original source, so you can check it yourself.
An unusual cost is not automatically waste. Some had good reasons; some really didn’t. Amounts are in original currency and not adjusted for inflation. See how we check the facts.
- 🚧 Boston’s Big Dig highway tunnelUS$24.3 billion full cost estimate · 2012
Bury a highway under a city. How hard could it be?
- 🩺 The HealthCare.gov websiteUS$1.7 billion contracts by 2014 · 2014
A website to shop for health insurance. It crashed on launch day in 2013.
- 🌁 The “Bridge to Nowhere” in AlaskaUS$398 million projected cost · 2007
A huge bridge to a small island. Mostly serving an airport. Never built.
- ⛽ A natural-gas fuel station in AfghanistanUS$43 million one fuel station · 2015
One compressed-natural-gas station in northern Afghanistan. Few local cars could even use it.
- 🌲 Forest-pattern uniforms for the Afghan armyUS$28 million possible extra cost · 2017
Camouflage covered in trees. For a country where forests cover about 2% of the land.
- 🐐 A cashmere goat project in AfghanistanUS$6 million cashmere project · 2016
Rare Italian goats, flown in to boost Afghan cashmere. Guess the project cost.
- 🚽 San Francisco’s famous public toiletUS$1.7 million early estimate · 2022
One single-stall bathroom in a park. The headline number went viral.
- 🔮 A government conference in Vegas with a mind reader and a clownUS$823,000 one conference · 2010
About 300 federal employees. Las Vegas. A hired mind reader.
- ⛑️ A pilot helmet for the F-35 fighter jetUS$400,000 per helmet · 2015
It lets pilots “see through” the floor of their own plane. Name the price.
- 🐝 A robot to find the queen beeUS$305,000 research award · 2025
Somewhere in that hive is the queen. Your taxes hired a search party.
- 🖖 Star Trek and Gilligan’s Island parody videos by the tax agencyUS$60,000 two parody videos · 2013
Tax officials in costume on a fake starship bridge. For a staff conference.
- 🚽 A toilet seat cover for an Air Force cargo planeUS$10,000 per cover · 2018
One plastic lid. For a toilet. On a plane.
- ☕ An Air Force coffee cup that reheats your coffeeUS$1,280 per cup · 2018
One cup. Reheats coffee on planes. The handle breaks if you drop it.
- 🔨 A hammer bought by the US militaryUS$436 one hammer · 1984
An ordinary claw hammer. On a 1980s spare-parts invoice.
- 🦐 The shrimp on a treadmillUS$47 the actual treadmill · 2011
Political “waste” lists linked it to $3 million. The treadmill itself cost…
Related stories
Where do taxes go in the US? →
Other countries
🇨🇦 Government waste in Canada🇬🇧 Government waste in the UK🇦🇺 Government waste in Australia🇳🇿 Government waste in New Zealand