Joseph Lau
Source of wealth: Real estate
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The scale of their wealth
Health
The price of life
Let's compare Joseph Lau's fortune with the healthcare spending of a massive country
Joseph Lau could fund the entire healthcare system of DR Congo, with a population of over 105,800,000 people, for approximately 6.4 years.
But even if we compare their fortune with that of a rich country
On the other end, Joseph Lau could cover the healthcare spending of Luxembourg, considered the most heavily funded healthcare system in the world, for 2.8 years.
Education
Buying the future
Let's also compare their fortune with education spending, first with a poor country
Joseph Lau could cover the total cost of Nigeria's education system, the most populous country in Africa with over 243,000,000 inhabitants, for 4.2 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 Joseph Lau could pay for it entirely for 5.7 years.
Research
The monopoly on progress
Coming full circle, we think it's also interesting to add another gigantic country
Joseph Lau could fully fund the state research budget of Pakistan, the fifth most populous country in the world with over 260,000,000 inhabitants, for 24.0 years.
And of course, the country that invests the most per capita worldwide
But even if we compare the total wealth of Joseph Lau 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 0.5 years.
Gold
Everyday luxuries
Joseph Lau's fortune is equivalent to 98 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.
Joseph Lau could buy 26,058,048 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 5 trucks to transport them. Although Joseph Lau will almost certainly have enough money left over to pay for the gas.
Biography
Joseph Lau is the former chairman of property developer Chinese Estates, most of which he acquired in 1986.
Lau owns a sizable portfolio of prime real estate in Hong Kong.
An avid art collector, his wealth also includes pieces from Warhol, Gauguin and Hockney that are worth at least $1 billion.
He became a billionaire in 2006 and his brother Thomas also made the billionaires' club.
In 2017 Joseph Lau said he transferred most of his wealth to his wife and a son, citing serious health issues.
Financial Assets
Monthly wealth history
Fortune comparison
Historical data not available for comparison