David Geffen
Source of wealth: Movies, record labels
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The scale of their wealth
Health
The price of life
Let's compare David Geffen's fortune with the healthcare spending of a massive country
David Geffen could fund the entire healthcare system of DR Congo, with a population of over 105,800,000 people, for approximately 4.1 years.
But even if we compare their fortune with that of a rich country
On the other end, David Geffen could cover the healthcare spending of Luxembourg, considered the most heavily funded healthcare system in the world, for 1.8 years.
Education
Buying the future
Let's also compare their fortune with education spending, first with a poor country
David Geffen could cover the total cost of Nigeria's education system, the most populous country in Africa with over 243,000,000 inhabitants, for 2.7 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 David Geffen could pay for it entirely for 3.7 years.
Research
The monopoly on progress
Coming full circle, we think it's also interesting to add another gigantic country
David Geffen could fully fund the state research budget of Pakistan, the fifth most populous country in the world with over 260,000,000 inhabitants, for 15.5 years.
And of course, the country that invests the most per capita worldwide
But even if we compare the total wealth of David Geffen 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 0.3 years.
Gold
Everyday luxuries
David Geffen's fortune is equivalent to 63 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.
David Geffen could buy 16,825,250 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 3 trucks to transport them. Although David Geffen will almost certainly have enough money left over to pay for the gas.
Biography
David Geffen is the founder of record labels Asylum Records, Geffen Records and DGC Records, as well as film studio DreamWorks.
Born to Jewish immigrants in Brooklyn, Geffen started his career in the mailroom of talent agency William Morris, where he rose to become an agent.
Throughout the years he has amassed an impressive contemporary art collection, including works by Jasper Johns, De Kooning and Jackson Pollock.
A luxury property aficionado, he owns one of NYC's most expensive apartments, a house in the Hamptons and has owned two estates in Beverly Hills.
In 2017 Geffen pledged $150 million to the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, the largest gift in the museum's history.
Financial Assets
Monthly wealth history
Fortune comparison
Historical data not available for comparison