Henry Sy Jr
Source of wealth: Diversified
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The scale of their wealth
Health
The price of life
Let's compare Henry Sy Jr's fortune with the healthcare spending of a massive country
Henry Sy Jr could fund the entire healthcare system of DR Congo, with a population of over 105,800,000 people, for approximately 1.2 years.
But even if we compare their fortune with that of a rich country
On the other end, Henry Sy Jr could cover the healthcare spending of Luxembourg, considered the most heavily funded healthcare system in the world, for 0.5 years.
Education
Buying the future
Let's also compare their fortune with education spending, first with a poor country
Henry Sy Jr could cover the total cost of Nigeria's education system, the most populous country in Africa with over 243,000,000 inhabitants, for 0.8 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 Henry Sy Jr could pay for it entirely for 1.0 years.
Research
The monopoly on progress
Coming full circle, we think it's also interesting to add another gigantic country
Henry Sy Jr could fully fund the state research budget of Pakistan, the fifth most populous country in the world with over 260,000,000 inhabitants, for 4.4 years.
And of course, the country that invests the most per capita worldwide
But even if we compare the total wealth of Henry Sy Jr 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
Henry Sy Jr's fortune is equivalent to 18 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.
Henry Sy Jr could buy 4,799,850 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 Henry Sy Jr will almost certainly have enough money left over to pay for the gas.
Biography
Henry Sy Jr. is co-vice chairman of SM Investments, a conglomerate founded by his late father, Henry Sy Sr.
He also serves as chairman of SM Prime, the group's property arm with interests in malls, residences, offices, hotels and convention centers.
He is the eldest son of the founder; his older sisters and three younger brothers are also all involved in the business.
In 2017 he set up Big Boss Cement, entering an industry that benefitted from former President Duterte's massive infrastructure push.
In 2022, SM Investments agreed to acquire Philippine Geothermal Production in a $304 million all-share deal in a bid to lower its carbon footprint.
Financial Assets
Monthly wealth history
Fortune comparison
Historical data not available for comparison