The scale of their wealth
Health
The price of life
Let's compare N. Murray Edwards's fortune with the healthcare spending of a massive country
N. Murray Edwards could fund the entire healthcare system of DR Congo, with a population of over 105,800,000 people, for approximately 2.2 years.
But even if we compare their fortune with that of a rich country
On the other end, N. Murray Edwards could cover the healthcare spending of Luxembourg, considered the most heavily funded healthcare system in the world, for 1.0 years.
Education
Buying the future
Let's also compare their fortune with education spending, first with a poor country
N. Murray Edwards could cover the total cost of Nigeria's education system, the most populous country in Africa with over 243,000,000 inhabitants, for 1.4 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 N. Murray Edwards could pay for it entirely for 1.9 years.
Research
The monopoly on progress
Coming full circle, we think it's also interesting to add another gigantic country
N. Murray Edwards could fully fund the state research budget of Pakistan, the fifth most populous country in the world with over 260,000,000 inhabitants, for 8.2 years.
And of course, the country that invests the most per capita worldwide
But even if we compare the total wealth of N. Murray Edwards 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
N. Murray Edwards's fortune is equivalent to 33 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.
N. Murray Edwards could buy 8,892,167 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 N. Murray Edwards will almost certainly have enough money left over to pay for the gas.
Biography
N. Murray Edwards derives much of his fortune from stakes in Canadian oil and mining companies.
His largest investments include oil sands miner Canadian Natural Resources, aerospace firm Magellan and a minority stake in the NHL's Calgary Flames.
A lawyer by training, Edwards made the jump to business at age 28 after promising a dying friend that he would always pursue his passions.
He started a merchant bank with partners in the late 1980's, but they spent half their initial capital on digging a natural gas well that came up dry.
Edwards then switched gears and diversified from exploration to investing in existing oil and gas assets.
Financial Assets
Monthly wealth history
Fortune comparison
Historical data not available for comparison