Lau Cho Kun
Source of wealth: Palm oil, property
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The scale of their wealth
Health
The price of life
Let's compare Lau Cho Kun's fortune with the healthcare spending of a massive country
Lau Cho Kun could fund the entire healthcare system of DR Congo, with a population of over 105,800,000 people, for approximately 0.8 years.
But even if we compare their fortune with that of a rich country
On the other end, Lau Cho Kun could cover the healthcare spending of Luxembourg, considered the most heavily funded healthcare system in the world, for 0.3 years.
Education
Buying the future
Let's also compare their fortune with education spending, first with a poor country
Lau Cho Kun could cover the total cost of Nigeria's education system, the most populous country in Africa with over 243,000,000 inhabitants, for 0.5 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 Lau Cho Kun could pay for it entirely for 0.7 years.
Research
The monopoly on progress
Coming full circle, we think it's also interesting to add another gigantic country
Lau Cho Kun could fully fund the state research budget of Pakistan, the fifth most populous country in the world with over 260,000,000 inhabitants, for 2.8 years.
And of course, the country that invests the most per capita worldwide
But even if we compare the total wealth of Lau Cho Kun 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
Lau Cho Kun's fortune is equivalent to 12 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.
Lau Cho Kun could buy 3,089,320 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 Lau Cho Kun will almost certainly have enough money left over to pay for the gas.
Biography
Lau Cho Kun is the largest shareholder in Hap Seng Consolidated, through holding company Gek Poh and investment arm Lei Shing Hong.
The diversified firm's interests include financial services, plantations and property.
Its plantation division is one of the largest producers of palm oil in Sabah, East Malaysia.
Hap Seng Consolidated has been operating Mercedes-Benz dealerships in Malaysia since 1969.
Privately held Hong Kong-based Lei Shing Hong runs Mercedes-Benz dealerships in Asia and Europe.
Financial Assets
Monthly wealth history
Fortune comparison
Historical data not available for comparison