Beda Diethelm
Source of wealth: Hearing aids
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The scale of their wealth
Health
The price of life
Let's compare Beda Diethelm's fortune with the healthcare spending of a massive country
Beda Diethelm could fund the entire healthcare system of DR Congo, with a population of over 105,800,000 people, for approximately 1.0 years.
But even if we compare their fortune with that of a rich country
On the other end, Beda Diethelm could cover the healthcare spending of Luxembourg, considered the most heavily funded healthcare system in the world, for 0.4 years.
Education
Buying the future
Let's also compare their fortune with education spending, first with a poor country
Beda Diethelm could cover the total cost of Nigeria's education system, the most populous country in Africa with over 243,000,000 inhabitants, for 0.6 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 Beda Diethelm could pay for it entirely for 0.9 years.
Research
The monopoly on progress
Coming full circle, we think it's also interesting to add another gigantic country
Beda Diethelm could fully fund the state research budget of Pakistan, the fifth most populous country in the world with over 260,000,000 inhabitants, for 3.7 years.
And of course, the country that invests the most per capita worldwide
But even if we compare the total wealth of Beda Diethelm 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 0.1 years.
Gold
Everyday luxuries
Beda Diethelm's fortune is equivalent to 15 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.
Beda Diethelm could buy 3,989,128 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 1 trucks to transport them. Although Beda Diethelm will almost certainly have enough money left over to pay for the gas.
Biography
Beda Diethelm is Swiss hearing aid manufacturer Sonova's largest individual shareholder, with a 10% stake.
Diethelm joined what would become Sonova in 1965, receiving a chunk of equity from the former owner in 1980.
Sonova has sales of roughly $2.8 billion and is based in Stafa, Switzerland and has production facilities in Vietnam and China.
Born in the tiny village of Galgenen, Switzerland, Diethelm first dabbled in electronics as an apprentice for a radio and TV technician in Zurich.
By 1962, Diethelm had become the head of production and technical director of Bommer, a Zurich company that was a global supplier of hearing aids.
Financial Assets
Monthly wealth history
Fortune comparison
Historical data not available for comparison