In a groundbreaking report that has sent shockwaves through the corridors of power (and probably some fluorescent-lit offices), the Ifo Institute has revealed that Germany’s excessive bureaucracy is costing the country a staggering 146 billion euros a year. Yes, you read that right—this is not just another tip at your local beer garden; this is the real deal. The report likens the cost of bureaucracy to a hobby of a euro-millionaire—who might otherwise be spending their time on more productive pursuits, such as collecting exotic pets or building a life-sized replica of the Berlin Wall out of Lego bricks. Apparently, while some people are spending their cash on yachts and private jets, the real luxury is drowning in a sea of paperwork. Executives have expressed their frustrations over what they are dubbing the "Red Tape Rhapsody," a series of approval processes as long as an epic symphony but far less enjoyable. Tales of new companies waiting months for the bureaucratic gods to bless their existence have become urban legends. “I offered to bring the documents in person,” lamented one entrepreneur, “thinking maybe they'd hand them over with a bow, but all I got was a list of additional forms I needed.” The report also highlights Germany's sluggish digitization efforts as a key factor in this bureaucratic nightmare. While the rest of Europe is zipping around in cyberspace, Germany is still figuring out how to log into its own computer systems. “We’re basically the tortoise in a race with an entire fleet of hares,” an unnamed business leader remarked, “if the hares decided to take a coffee break every few hours to file a form that doesn’t even exist.” Meanwhile, the German government is devising a plan to tackle this titanic problem, possibly by assigning bureaucrats to live on a floating office in the middle of the North Sea—out of sight, out of mind. Mixed reactions have poured in from the public: some view it as a clever way to remove red tape while others question why anyone would willingly live on a platform surrounded by water and bureaucratic paperwork. As companies sprinkle their magic fairy dust to navigate through paperwork to breathe life into new ventures, the hope is that this report will enlighten policymakers. Until then, Germans may want to invest in very large paper shredders—because at this rate, they might just need them to handle the mountain of forms coming their way! In the end, while euro-millionaires may take pleasure in their extravagant pastimes, the true pastime for many in the business world remains honing their skills in dodging red tape. Because in Germany, it seems the only thing more elusive than a get-rich-quick scheme is a permission slip that doesn’t require a five-part approval process.