The scale of their wealth
Health
The price of life
Let's compare Craig McCaw's fortune with the healthcare spending of a massive country
Craig McCaw could fund the entire healthcare system of DR Congo, with a population of over 105,800,000 people, for approximately 1.3 years.
But even if we compare their fortune with that of a rich country
On the other end, Craig McCaw could cover the healthcare spending of Luxembourg, considered the most heavily funded healthcare system in the world, for 0.6 years.
Education
Buying the future
Let's also compare their fortune with education spending, first with a poor country
Craig McCaw could cover the total cost of Nigeria's education system, the most populous country in Africa with over 243,000,000 inhabitants, for 0.8 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 Craig McCaw could pay for it entirely for 1.1 years.
Research
The monopoly on progress
Coming full circle, we think it's also interesting to add another gigantic country
Craig McCaw could fully fund the state research budget of Pakistan, the fifth most populous country in the world with over 260,000,000 inhabitants, for 4.8 years.
And of course, the country that invests the most per capita worldwide
But even if we compare the total wealth of Craig McCaw 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
Craig McCaw's fortune is equivalent to 19 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.
Craig McCaw could buy 5,191,541 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 Craig McCaw will almost certainly have enough money left over to pay for the gas.
Biography
Wireless pioneer Craig McCaw and his brothers took over their dad's cable-TV business in 1966.
They sold McCaw Cellular to AT&T in 1994 for $12.6 billion in stock.
McCaw, with backing from Bill Gates and Boeing, cofounded Teledesic in 1990 to provide internet access via satellite. It ceased operations in 2002.
He has stayed out of the limelight since stepping down as chairman of telecom operator Clearwire in 2010, two years before it was acquired by Sprint.
Financial Assets
Monthly wealth history
Fortune comparison
Historical data not available for comparison