Christoffel Wiese
Source of wealth: retail
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The scale of their wealth
Health
The price of life
Let's compare Christoffel Wiese's fortune with the healthcare spending of a massive country
Christoffel Wiese could fund the entire healthcare system of DR Congo, with a population of over 105,800,000 people, for approximately 0.8 years.
But even if we compare their fortune with that of a rich country
On the other end, Christoffel Wiese 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
Christoffel Wiese could cover the total cost of Nigeria's education system, the most populous country in Africa with over 243,000,000 inhabitants, for 0.5 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 Christoffel Wiese could pay for it entirely for 0.7 years.
Research
The monopoly on progress
Coming full circle, we think it's also interesting to add another gigantic country
Christoffel Wiese could fully fund the state research budget of Pakistan, the fifth most populous country in the world with over 260,000,000 inhabitants, for 3.1 years.
And of course, the country that invests the most per capita worldwide
But even if we compare the total wealth of Christoffel Wiese 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
Christoffel Wiese's fortune is equivalent to 13 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.
Christoffel Wiese could buy 3,382,559 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 Christoffel Wiese will almost certainly have enough money left over to pay for the gas.
Biography
Christoffel Wiese built his Pepkor retail empire by offering bargain prices in South Africa, later expanding into other African countries.
In 2015, South Africa-based furniture retailer Steinhoff International spent $5.7 billion in cash and stock to acquire Pepkor.
He stepped down as Steinhoff chairman in December 2017 after the company disclosed accounting irregularities. Its share price plummeted and Wiese lost his billionaire status.
Wiese regained his 9-figure fortune 2022 when he settled his dispute with Steinhoff for cash and stock, including a 5% stake in Pepkor.
His most valuable asset is Shoprite, but he also holds stakes in real estate firm Collins Property Group, investment holding company Brait and industrial products distributor Invicta Holdings.
In March 2023, Brait spun off food manufacturer Premier Group in an IPO on the Johannesburg stock exchange; Wiese owns about 47% of the shares.
Financial Assets
Monthly wealth history
Fortune comparison
Historical data not available for comparison