Frank Laukien
Source of wealth: Scientific equipment
...
...
The scale of their wealth
Health
The price of life
Let's compare Frank Laukien's fortune with the healthcare spending of a massive country
Frank Laukien could fund the entire healthcare system of DR Congo, with a population of over 105,800,000 people, for approximately 0.7 years.
But even if we compare their fortune with that of a rich country
On the other end, Frank Laukien could cover the healthcare spending of Luxembourg, considered the most heavily funded healthcare system in the world, for 0.3 years.
Education
Buying the future
Let's also compare their fortune with education spending, first with a poor country
Frank Laukien could cover the total cost of Nigeria's education system, the most populous country in Africa with over 243,000,000 inhabitants, for 0.5 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 Frank Laukien could pay for it entirely for 0.6 years.
Research
The monopoly on progress
Coming full circle, we think it's also interesting to add another gigantic country
Frank Laukien could fully fund the state research budget of Pakistan, the fifth most populous country in the world with over 260,000,000 inhabitants, for 2.6 years.
And of course, the country that invests the most per capita worldwide
But even if we compare the total wealth of Frank Laukien 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
Frank Laukien's fortune is equivalent to 11 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.
Frank Laukien could buy 2,857,008 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 Frank Laukien will almost certainly have enough money left over to pay for the gas.
Biography
Frank Laukien is the chairman and CEO of Bruker Corp., a scientific instruments manufacturer headquartered in Billerica, Massachusetts.
His father, physics professor Gunther Laukien, founded the company in 1960.
The firm initially specialized in magnets and power supplies; now it produces a variety of imaging machines and microscopes, among others.
Bruker is publicly traded; Laukien owns about a quarter of the company.
Laukien's brother, Joerg Laukien, served on Bruker's board but retired in 2018.
Financial Assets
Monthly wealth history
Fortune comparison
Historical data not available for comparison