Gerald Schwartz
Source of wealth: Finance
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The scale of their wealth
Health
The price of life
Let's compare Gerald Schwartz's fortune with the healthcare spending of a massive country
Gerald Schwartz 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, Gerald Schwartz 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
Gerald Schwartz 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 Gerald Schwartz 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
Gerald Schwartz could fully fund the state research budget of Pakistan, the fifth most populous country in the world with over 260,000,000 inhabitants, for 2.7 years.
And of course, the country that invests the most per capita worldwide
But even if we compare the total wealth of Gerald Schwartz 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
Gerald Schwartz'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.
Gerald Schwartz could buy 2,949,925 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 Gerald Schwartz will almost certainly have enough money left over to pay for the gas.
Biography
Gerald Schwartz is the founder and chairman of Onex, one of Canada's largest private equity firms, which he ran for 39 years before stepping down in May 2023.
He got his start working with buyout legends Jerome Kohlberg, Henry Kravis and George Roberts at Bear Stearns in the 1970s.
The Americans left to start KKR in 1976; Schwartz went home to Canada and cofounded the media company CanWest in 1977.
In 1984 he started Onex, which now has $50 billion in assets under management and offices in London, Toronto and the U.S.
Financial Assets
Monthly wealth history
Fortune comparison
Historical data not available for comparison