Lee Thiam Wah
Source of wealth: Retailing
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The scale of their wealth
Health
The price of life
Let's compare Lee Thiam Wah's fortune with the healthcare spending of a massive country
Lee Thiam Wah could fund the entire healthcare system of DR Congo, with a population of over 105,800,000 people, for approximately 2.9 years.
But even if we compare their fortune with that of a rich country
On the other end, Lee Thiam Wah could cover the healthcare spending of Luxembourg, considered the most heavily funded healthcare system in the world, for 1.3 years.
Education
Buying the future
Let's also compare their fortune with education spending, first with a poor country
Lee Thiam Wah could cover the total cost of Nigeria's education system, the most populous country in Africa with over 243,000,000 inhabitants, for 1.9 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 Thiam Wah could pay for it entirely for 2.6 years.
Research
The monopoly on progress
Coming full circle, we think it's also interesting to add another gigantic country
Lee Thiam Wah could fully fund the state research budget of Pakistan, the fifth most populous country in the world with over 260,000,000 inhabitants, for 10.9 years.
And of course, the country that invests the most per capita worldwide
But even if we compare the total wealth of Lee Thiam Wah 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
Lee Thiam Wah's fortune is equivalent to 44 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 Thiam Wah could buy 11,825,095 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 2 trucks to transport them. Although Lee Thiam Wah will almost certainly have enough money left over to pay for the gas.
Biography
Lee Thiam Wah is the founder and CEO of 99 Speed Mart Retail Holdings, Malaysia's largest operator of mini-marts by number of stores.
The company went public on Bursa Malaysia in 2024, raising $532 million.
Lee opened his first shop in 1987 in the port city of Klang, before selling it and establishing the Pasar Mini 99 chain in 1992.
In 2000, he consolidated his growing network of stores under the 99 Speedmart brand, which has since expanded to over 3,000 outlets.
His son Lee Yan Zhong is an alternate director to him; his wife Ng Lee Tieng also sits on the board.
Financial Assets
Monthly wealth history
Fortune comparison
Historical data not available for comparison