The exact origin of the 'went to zero' clip is undocumented, as with many user-uploaded soundboard sounds, but the phrase itself comes from trading slang, where an asset that 'goes to zero' has lost all of its value. It exploded in meme culture alongside crypto and stock-market memes, where screenshots of red portfolios begged for a devastating punchline. Editors now use it far beyond finance, applying it to lost game runs, ruined plans and pop-culture collapses. Its staying power comes from the contrast between the casual delivery and the total destruction it describes.