E. Joe Shoen
Source of wealth: U-Haul
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The scale of their wealth
Health
The price of life
Let's compare E. Joe Shoen's fortune with the healthcare spending of a massive country
E. Joe Shoen could fund the entire healthcare system of DR Congo, with a population of over 105,800,000 people, for approximately 1.4 years.
But even if we compare their fortune with that of a rich country
On the other end, E. Joe Shoen 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
E. Joe Shoen could cover the total cost of Nigeria's education system, the most populous country in Africa with over 243,000,000 inhabitants, for 0.9 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 E. Joe Shoen could pay for it entirely for 1.3 years.
Research
The monopoly on progress
Coming full circle, we think it's also interesting to add another gigantic country
E. Joe Shoen could fully fund the state research budget of Pakistan, the fifth most populous country in the world with over 260,000,000 inhabitants, for 5.4 years.
And of course, the country that invests the most per capita worldwide
But even if we compare the total wealth of E. Joe Shoen 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
E. Joe Shoen's fortune is equivalent to 22 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.
E. Joe Shoen could buy 5,831,309 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 E. Joe Shoen will almost certainly have enough money left over to pay for the gas.
Biography
Joe Shoen is the president and chairman of U-Haul's parent company Amerco. He owns around 20%.
His parents, L.S. and Anna Mary Shoen, cofounded the truck and trailer rental company in 1945.
Worried that his father was wrecking the company, Joe led a coup in 1986, forcing his dad into retirement and alienating most of his 12 siblings.
Brother Mark Shoen, also a billionaire, reportedly remains on good terms with Joe.
Despite his problems working with his own dad, Joe's son Sam is an executive at Amerco.
Financial Assets
Monthly wealth history
Fortune comparison
Historical data not available for comparison