David Rubenstein
Source of wealth: Private equity
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The scale of their wealth
Health
The price of life
Let's compare David Rubenstein's fortune with the healthcare spending of a massive country
David Rubenstein could fund the entire healthcare system of DR Congo, with a population of over 105,800,000 people, for approximately 1.9 years.
But even if we compare their fortune with that of a rich country
On the other end, David Rubenstein could cover the healthcare spending of Luxembourg, considered the most heavily funded healthcare system in the world, for 0.8 years.
Education
Buying the future
Let's also compare their fortune with education spending, first with a poor country
David Rubenstein could cover the total cost of Nigeria's education system, the most populous country in Africa with over 243,000,000 inhabitants, for 1.2 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 Rubenstein could pay for it entirely for 1.7 years.
Research
The monopoly on progress
Coming full circle, we think it's also interesting to add another gigantic country
David Rubenstein could fully fund the state research budget of Pakistan, the fifth most populous country in the world with over 260,000,000 inhabitants, for 7.0 years.
And of course, the country that invests the most per capita worldwide
But even if we compare the total wealth of David Rubenstein 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 0.2 years.
Gold
Everyday luxuries
David Rubenstein's fortune is equivalent to 29 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 Rubenstein could buy 7,631,802 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 David Rubenstein will almost certainly have enough money left over to pay for the gas.
Biography
David Rubenstein is one of three billionaire founders of private equity firm Carlyle Group, which has $465 billion in assets under management.
He cofounded Carlyle in 1987 with William Conway Jr. and Daniel D'Aniello. He now serves as non-executive co-chairman.
Rubenstein got his start as a Carter Administration official and later became an attorney.
In the early days Rubenstein raised the money and managed Carlyle's stable of advisers, which included George H.W. Bush.
He is the controlling owner of the Baltimore Orioles, which he purchased with an investor group in 2024 for $1.75 billion.
Financial Assets
Monthly wealth history
Fortune comparison
Historical data not available for comparison