Michael Ashcroft
Source of wealth: Security
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The scale of their wealth
Health
The price of life
Let's compare Michael Ashcroft's fortune with the healthcare spending of a massive country
Michael Ashcroft could fund the entire healthcare system of DR Congo, with a population of over 105,800,000 people, for approximately 0.9 years.
But even if we compare their fortune with that of a rich country
On the other end, Michael Ashcroft could cover the healthcare spending of Luxembourg, considered the most heavily funded healthcare system in the world, for 0.4 years.
Education
Buying the future
Let's also compare their fortune with education spending, first with a poor country
Michael Ashcroft could cover the total cost of Nigeria's education system, the most populous country in Africa with over 243,000,000 inhabitants, for 0.6 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 Michael Ashcroft could pay for it entirely for 0.8 years.
Research
The monopoly on progress
Coming full circle, we think it's also interesting to add another gigantic country
Michael Ashcroft could fully fund the state research budget of Pakistan, the fifth most populous country in the world with over 260,000,000 inhabitants, for 3.4 years.
And of course, the country that invests the most per capita worldwide
But even if we compare the total wealth of Michael Ashcroft 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
Michael Ashcroft's fortune is equivalent to 14 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.
Michael Ashcroft could buy 3,651,454 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 Michael Ashcroft will almost certainly have enough money left over to pay for the gas.
Biography
Michael Ashcroft's fortune comes from buying and selling a number of companies, most notably home security giant ADT.
He purchased ADT in 1987 then flipped it to Tyco International in 1997 for $6.7 billion; proceeds from the sale still form the bulk of his fortune.
A longtime Conservative Party supporter, he served as deputy chairman from 2005 to 2010, and stepped down from the House of Lords in March 2015.
Ashcroft is also a major investor in Belize and previously served as the Belizean Ambassador to the United Nations from 1998 to 2000.
Financial Assets
Monthly wealth history
Fortune comparison
Historical data not available for comparison