Mong-Koo Chung
Source of wealth: Hyundai
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The scale of their wealth
Health
The price of life
Let's compare Mong-Koo Chung's fortune with the healthcare spending of a massive country
Mong-Koo Chung could fund the entire healthcare system of DR Congo, with a population of over 105,800,000 people, for approximately 4.3 years.
But even if we compare their fortune with that of a rich country
On the other end, Mong-Koo Chung could cover the healthcare spending of Luxembourg, considered the most heavily funded healthcare system in the world, for 1.9 years.
Education
Buying the future
Let's also compare their fortune with education spending, first with a poor country
Mong-Koo Chung could cover the total cost of Nigeria's education system, the most populous country in Africa with over 243,000,000 inhabitants, for 2.8 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 Mong-Koo Chung could pay for it entirely for 3.8 years.
Research
The monopoly on progress
Coming full circle, we think it's also interesting to add another gigantic country
Mong-Koo Chung could fully fund the state research budget of Pakistan, the fifth most populous country in the world with over 260,000,000 inhabitants, for 15.9 years.
And of course, the country that invests the most per capita worldwide
But even if we compare the total wealth of Mong-Koo Chung 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 0.4 years.
Gold
Everyday luxuries
Mong-Koo Chung's fortune is equivalent to 65 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.
Mong-Koo Chung could buy 17,300,173 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 3 trucks to transport them. Although Mong-Koo Chung will almost certainly have enough money left over to pay for the gas.
Biography
Mong-Koo Chung was chairman of Hyundai Motor, South Korea's largest automaker, for more than 20 years before stepping down in 2020.
He was succeeded by his only son Euisun, who is also a billionaire.
He is the second son of the late Chung Ju-yung who came from a peasant family and later founded the Hyundai Group, once Korea's biggest conglomerate.
His second-biggest holding is in the publicly-listed auto parts company Hyundai Mobis.
Financial Assets
Monthly wealth history
Fortune comparison
Historical data not available for comparison