Fang Wei
Source of wealth: Steel
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The scale of their wealth
Health
The price of life
Let's compare Fang Wei's fortune with the healthcare spending of a massive country
Fang Wei could fund the entire healthcare system of DR Congo, with a population of over 105,800,000 people, for approximately 1.7 years.
But even if we compare their fortune with that of a rich country
On the other end, Fang Wei 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
Fang Wei could cover the total cost of Nigeria's education system, the most populous country in Africa with over 243,000,000 inhabitants, for 1.1 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 Fang Wei could pay for it entirely for 1.6 years.
Research
The monopoly on progress
Coming full circle, we think it's also interesting to add another gigantic country
Fang Wei could fully fund the state research budget of Pakistan, the fifth most populous country in the world with over 260,000,000 inhabitants, for 6.5 years.
And of course, the country that invests the most per capita worldwide
But even if we compare the total wealth of Fang Wei 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
Fang Wei's fortune is equivalent to 27 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.
Fang Wei could buy 7,107,376 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 Fang Wei will almost certainly have enough money left over to pay for the gas.
Biography
Fang Wei chairs Fangda Group, a conglomerate based in the northeastern province of Liaoning with interests in aviation, pharmaceuticals, steel and new materials.
The group controls several listed companies, including Fangda Carbon New Material and Fangda Special Steel Technology.
Born in a distressed rural area, Fang helped his family recycle scrap metals when he was young.
He later built a sprawling business empire through acquiring financially stressed companies and turning their operations around.
His best-known deals include the 2022 investment of $1.6 billion in Hainan Airlines, after former owner HNA Group was forced to downsize amid Beijing's crackdown on debt-fueled acquisitions overseas.
Financial Assets
Monthly wealth history
Fortune comparison
Historical data not available for comparison