Lee Kar Whatt
Source of wealth: Dollar store
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The scale of their wealth
Health
The price of life
Let's compare Lee Kar Whatt's fortune with the healthcare spending of a massive country
Lee Kar Whatt could fund the entire healthcare system of DR Congo, with a population of over 105,800,000 people, for approximately 0.6 years.
But even if we compare their fortune with that of a rich country
On the other end, Lee Kar Whatt 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
Lee Kar Whatt could cover the total cost of Nigeria's education system, the most populous country in Africa with over 243,000,000 inhabitants, for 0.4 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 Kar Whatt could pay for it entirely for 0.6 years.
Research
The monopoly on progress
Coming full circle, we think it's also interesting to add another gigantic country
Lee Kar Whatt could fully fund the state research budget of Pakistan, the fifth most populous country in the world with over 260,000,000 inhabitants, for 2.4 years.
And of course, the country that invests the most per capita worldwide
But even if we compare the total wealth of Lee Kar Whatt 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
Lee Kar Whatt's fortune is equivalent to 10 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 Kar Whatt could buy 2,572,884 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 Kar Whatt will almost certainly have enough money left over to pay for the gas.
Biography
Lee Kar Whatt is cofounder and managing director of Eco-Shop Marketing, a dollar store chain with more than 400 outlets across Malaysia.
Lee started his career with construction and renovation jobs before setting up his own company in 1994.
He ventured into retail in 2002, and a year later opened the first discount store with his brother Lee Tiong Bin and two other partners.
Creador, a South and Southeast Asia-focused private equity firm, which acquired a 10% stake in Eco-Shop in 2019 for an undisclosed amount, has since sold its shares.
Eco-Shop debuted on Bursa Malaysia in May 2025 after raising RM974 million ($245 million) in the country's largest IPO that year.
Financial Assets
Monthly wealth history
Fortune comparison
Historical data not available for comparison