John Paulson
Source of wealth: Hedge funds
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The scale of their wealth
Health
The price of life
Let's compare John Paulson's fortune with the healthcare spending of a massive country
John Paulson could fund the entire healthcare system of DR Congo, with a population of over 105,800,000 people, for approximately 1.8 years.
But even if we compare their fortune with that of a rich country
On the other end, John Paulson could cover the healthcare spending of Luxembourg, considered the most heavily funded healthcare system in the world, for 0.8 years.
Education
Buying the future
Let's also compare their fortune with education spending, first with a poor country
John Paulson could cover the total cost of Nigeria's education system, the most populous country in Africa with over 243,000,000 inhabitants, for 1.2 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 Paulson could pay for it entirely for 1.6 years.
Research
The monopoly on progress
Coming full circle, we think it's also interesting to add another gigantic country
John Paulson could fully fund the state research budget of Pakistan, the fifth most populous country in the world with over 260,000,000 inhabitants, for 6.8 years.
And of course, the country that invests the most per capita worldwide
But even if we compare the total wealth of John Paulson 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 0.2 years.
Gold
Everyday luxuries
John Paulson's fortune is equivalent to 28 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 Paulson could buy 7,402,305 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 John Paulson will almost certainly have enough money left over to pay for the gas.
Biography
John Paulson made his fortune betting against subprime mortgages at the peak of the 2007 credit bubble.
His hedge fund firm, Paulson & Co., was started in 1994 and enjoyed success as a niche fund until Paulson put on his "big short" in 2007.
In 2020, Paulson announced that he would be returning capital to investors and converting his hedge fund into a family office.
A Queens native, Paulson had stints at several firms, including Boston Consulting Group and Bear Stearns, before founding Paulson & Co.
Paulson has given $400 million to Harvard University, where he received an MBA, and $100 million to his undergraduate alma mater New York University.
Financial Assets
Financial assets information not available.
Monthly wealth history
Fortune comparison
Historical data not available for comparison