I can’t count how many times I have seen reporters mix up millions and billions.
The reason is simple. Billion has different values, depending on whether you are using Short scale or Long scale. So a billion might mean a thousand million in USA and million millions here in Europe.
Wikipedia article.
Just like with the use of inches versus millimeters or use of “pound” as a measurement for the force (the correct unit is Newton), Americans do it wrong ;-). And even sensible British have taken to use this system of number notation.
