Lee Ho-jin
Source of wealth: Diversified
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The scale of their wealth
Health
The price of life
Let's compare Lee Ho-jin's fortune with the healthcare spending of a massive country
Lee Ho-jin could fund the entire healthcare system of DR Congo, with a population of over 105,800,000 people, for approximately 0.5 years.
But even if we compare their fortune with that of a rich country
On the other end, Lee Ho-jin could cover the healthcare spending of Luxembourg, considered the most heavily funded healthcare system in the world, for 0.2 years.
Education
Buying the future
Let's also compare their fortune with education spending, first with a poor country
Lee Ho-jin could cover the total cost of Nigeria's education system, the most populous country in Africa with over 243,000,000 inhabitants, for 0.3 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 Lee Ho-jin could pay for it entirely for 0.5 years.
Research
The monopoly on progress
Coming full circle, we think it's also interesting to add another gigantic country
Lee Ho-jin could fully fund the state research budget of Pakistan, the fifth most populous country in the world with over 260,000,000 inhabitants, for 1.9 years.
And of course, the country that invests the most per capita worldwide
But even if we compare the total wealth of Lee Ho-jin 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 0.0 years.
Gold
Everyday luxuries
Lee Ho-jin's fortune is equivalent to 8 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.
Lee Ho-jin could buy 2,074,780 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 0 trucks to transport them. Although Lee Ho-jin will almost certainly have enough money left over to pay for the gas.
Biography
Lee Ho-jin is a former chairman of Taekwang Industrial, a manufacturer that became synonymous with Korea's textile and petrochemical prowess.
He rose to chairman after his oldest brother, Lee Sik-jin, died. He has now stepped down and is reportedly struggling against liver cancer.
In 2011, he was sentenced to 54 months in prison for embezzling $128 million from the company but has been out on bail due to his illness.
In 2019, Lee was sentenced to three years in prison on charges of embezzlement and breach of trust. He was pardoned in 2023.
Financial Assets
Monthly wealth history
Fortune comparison
Historical data not available for comparison