Ludwig Merckle
Source of wealth: Pharmaceuticals
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The scale of their wealth
Health
The price of life
Let's compare Ludwig Merckle's fortune with the healthcare spending of a massive country
Ludwig Merckle could fund the entire healthcare system of DR Congo, with a population of over 105,800,000 people, for approximately 7.6 years.
But even if we compare their fortune with that of a rich country
On the other end, Ludwig Merckle could cover the healthcare spending of Luxembourg, considered the most heavily funded healthcare system in the world, for 3.3 years.
Education
Buying the future
Let's also compare their fortune with education spending, first with a poor country
Ludwig Merckle could cover the total cost of Nigeria's education system, the most populous country in Africa with over 243,000,000 inhabitants, for 4.9 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 Ludwig Merckle could pay for it entirely for 6.7 years.
Research
The monopoly on progress
Coming full circle, we think it's also interesting to add another gigantic country
Ludwig Merckle could fully fund the state research budget of Pakistan, the fifth most populous country in the world with over 260,000,000 inhabitants, for 28.2 years.
And of course, the country that invests the most per capita worldwide
But even if we compare the total wealth of Ludwig Merckle 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 0.6 years.
Gold
Everyday luxuries
Ludwig Merckle's fortune is equivalent to 115 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.
Ludwig Merckle could buy 30,685,337 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 Ludwig Merckle will almost certainly have enough money left over to pay for the gas.
Biography
Ludwig Merckle owns 28% of construction group Heidelberg Materials, which he took over in crisis after the death of his father, Adolf, in 2009.
Along with other members of his family, he owns Phoenix Pharma SE, a drug wholesaler that also operates a chain of retail pharmacies.
His father died by suicide during a debt crisis that threatened to crush the family fortune until Ludwig orchestrated a turnround.
To finance the rescue, he refinanced debt, sold drug maker Ratiopharm and a large stake in Heidelberg, and nearly had to sell Phoenix.
He owns the snowcat maker Kaessbohrer and is co-owner of Zollern, which makes a range of products including bearings, gears, winches and motors.
Financial Assets
Monthly wealth history
Fortune comparison
Historical data not available for comparison