The scale of their wealth
Health
The price of life
Let's compare John Fredriksen's fortune with the healthcare spending of a massive country
John Fredriksen could fund the entire healthcare system of DR Congo, with a population of over 105,800,000 people, for approximately 9.7 years.
But even if we compare their fortune with that of a rich country
On the other end, John Fredriksen could cover the healthcare spending of Luxembourg, considered the most heavily funded healthcare system in the world, for 4.3 years.
Education
Buying the future
Let's also compare their fortune with education spending, first with a poor country
John Fredriksen could cover the total cost of Nigeria's education system, the most populous country in Africa with over 243,000,000 inhabitants, for 6.3 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 John Fredriksen could pay for it entirely for 8.6 years.
Research
The monopoly on progress
Coming full circle, we think it's also interesting to add another gigantic country
John Fredriksen could fully fund the state research budget of Pakistan, the fifth most populous country in the world with over 260,000,000 inhabitants, for 36.2 years.
And of course, the country that invests the most per capita worldwide
But even if we compare the total wealth of John Fredriksen 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 0.8 years.
Gold
Everyday luxuries
John Fredriksen's fortune is equivalent to 147 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.
John Fredriksen could buy 39,266,869 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 7 trucks to transport them. Although John Fredriksen will almost certainly have enough money left over to pay for the gas.
Biography
Fredriksen's empire includes oil tankers, dry bulkers, LNG carriers and deepwater drilling rigs.
He first got into oil trading in the 1960s in Beirut, bought his first tankers in the 1970s, and ran crude for Iran in the 1980s.
His offshore drilling rig firm Seadrill emerged from bankruptcy in 2018, with Fredriksen helping to raise about $1 billion in new debt and equity.
He also owns a stake in Mowi, which has rolled up competitors to become the biggest fish farmer in the world.
Though set to hand control to twins Kathrine and Cecilie, he has said "My daughters should not have to live with the work everyday I've had."
Financial Assets
Monthly wealth history
Fortune comparison
Historical data not available for comparison