Austen Cargill II
Source of wealth: Cargill
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The scale of their wealth
Health
The price of life
Let's compare Austen Cargill II's fortune with the healthcare spending of a massive country
Austen Cargill II could fund the entire healthcare system of DR Congo, with a population of over 105,800,000 people, for approximately 2.5 years.
But even if we compare their fortune with that of a rich country
On the other end, Austen Cargill II could cover the healthcare spending of Luxembourg, considered the most heavily funded healthcare system in the world, for 1.1 years.
Education
Buying the future
Let's also compare their fortune with education spending, first with a poor country
Austen Cargill II could cover the total cost of Nigeria's education system, the most populous country in Africa with over 243,000,000 inhabitants, for 1.6 years.
And yes, we can also compare it with a rich country
But they couldn't just cover the cost of a poor country; Luxembourg is considered the country with the highest per capita investment in education in the world, and Austen Cargill II could pay for it entirely for 2.2 years.
Research
The monopoly on progress
Coming full circle, we think it's also interesting to add another gigantic country
Austen Cargill II could fully fund the state research budget of Pakistan, the fifth most populous country in the world with over 260,000,000 inhabitants, for 9.3 years.
And of course, the country that invests the most per capita worldwide
But even if we compare the total wealth of Austen Cargill II with Israel, the country that invests the most per capita in research in the world, they could cover the total cost of the system for 0.2 years.
Gold
Everyday luxuries
Austen Cargill II's fortune is equivalent to 38 tons of gold. It's hard to process, since we don't usually keep a handful of gold bars in our piggy banks.
A standard gold ring usually weighs between 4 and 7 grams. Let's say this one weighs 5 grams. It's usually 18 karats.
Based on today's gold price (excluding the jeweler's commission, shipping, or anything else), that ring would be worth $546.86.
Austen Cargill II could buy 10,155,389 gold rings. That's a lot of fingers and way too many gifts!!
And if you're struggling to visualize that many rings, it would take 2 trucks to transport them. Although Austen Cargill II will almost certainly have enough money left over to pay for the gas.
Biography
Austen Cargill II is one of 21 billionaire heirs to Cargill, the family business where he served as a vice president until retiring in 2001.
His great-grandfather, W.W. Cargill, founded the business as a single grain warehouse on the end of an Iowa railroad line in 1865.
The family still owns roughly 90% of Cargill, which did $154 billion in 2025 sales across food, agriculture, financial and industrial divisions.
Before becoming a Cargill executive, Austen earned a Ph.D. and worked as a marine biologist for the company.
Financial Assets
Financial assets information not available.
Monthly wealth history
Fortune comparison
Historical data not available for comparison