Burhan Karim
Source of wealth: Palm oil
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The scale of their wealth
Health
The price of life
Let's compare Burhan Karim's fortune with the healthcare spending of a massive country
Burhan Karim could fund the entire healthcare system of DR Congo, with a population of over 105,800,000 people, for approximately 0.6 years.
But even if we compare their fortune with that of a rich country
On the other end, Burhan Karim could cover the healthcare spending of Luxembourg, considered the most heavily funded healthcare system in the world, for 0.3 years.
Education
Buying the future
Let's also compare their fortune with education spending, first with a poor country
Burhan Karim could cover the total cost of Nigeria's education system, the most populous country in Africa with over 243,000,000 inhabitants, for 0.4 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 Burhan Karim could pay for it entirely for 0.5 years.
Research
The monopoly on progress
Coming full circle, we think it's also interesting to add another gigantic country
Burhan Karim could fully fund the state research budget of Pakistan, the fifth most populous country in the world with over 260,000,000 inhabitants, for 2.2 years.
And of course, the country that invests the most per capita worldwide
But even if we compare the total wealth of Burhan Karim 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 0.0 years.
Gold
Everyday luxuries
Burhan Karim's fortune is equivalent to 9 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.
Burhan Karim could buy 2,419,341 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 0 trucks to transport them. Although Burhan Karim will almost certainly have enough money left over to pay for the gas.
Biography
Burhan Karim or Lim Ek Kian is a director of Musim Mas Holdings, a Singapore-based integrated palm oil firm that owns operations in Indonesia.
He runs Musim Mas alongisde brothers Bachtiar and Bahari.
His late father Anwar founded Nam Cheong Soap Factory in 1932; the family-run operation still makes soaps and margarine.
The family opened the first palm oil refinery in Indonesia in 1970. Musim Mas was formally set up two years later.
Financial Assets
Financial assets information not available.
Monthly wealth history
Fortune comparison
Historical data not available for comparison