Jack Cockwell
Source of wealth: Real estate, private equity
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The scale of their wealth
Health
The price of life
Let's compare Jack Cockwell's fortune with the healthcare spending of a massive country
Jack Cockwell could fund the entire healthcare system of DR Congo, with a population of over 105,800,000 people, for approximately 1.6 years.
But even if we compare their fortune with that of a rich country
On the other end, Jack Cockwell could cover the healthcare spending of Luxembourg, considered the most heavily funded healthcare system in the world, for 0.7 years.
Education
Buying the future
Let's also compare their fortune with education spending, first with a poor country
Jack Cockwell 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 Jack Cockwell could pay for it entirely for 1.4 years.
Research
The monopoly on progress
Coming full circle, we think it's also interesting to add another gigantic country
Jack Cockwell could fully fund the state research budget of Pakistan, the fifth most populous country in the world with over 260,000,000 inhabitants, for 6.1 years.
And of course, the country that invests the most per capita worldwide
But even if we compare the total wealth of Jack Cockwell 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
Jack Cockwell's fortune is equivalent to 25 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.
Jack Cockwell could buy 6,578,429 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 Jack Cockwell will almost certainly have enough money left over to pay for the gas.
Biography
A South African native and trained accountant, Jack Cockwell is a famed dealmaker in Canada.
From the 1970s through the early 1990s he built the Bronfmans' Edper conglomerate, acquiring massive holdings in real estate, forestry and mining.
Now known as Brookfield Asset Management, one of the world's biggest money managers, he handed the reins to fellow billionaire Bruce Flatt in 2002.
His wealth comes from a large holding in Brookfield shares, much of it in a partnership shared with other board directors and management.
Cockwell is a member of Ryerson University's board of governors and governor of the Royal Ontario Museum.
Financial Assets
Monthly wealth history
Fortune comparison
Historical data not available for comparison