Nathan Kirsh
Source of wealth: Retail, real estate
...
...
The scale of their wealth
Health
The price of life
Let's compare Nathan Kirsh's fortune with the healthcare spending of a massive country
Nathan Kirsh could fund the entire healthcare system of DR Congo, with a population of over 105,800,000 people, for approximately 7.7 years.
But even if we compare their fortune with that of a rich country
On the other end, Nathan Kirsh could cover the healthcare spending of Luxembourg, considered the most heavily funded healthcare system in the world, for 3.4 years.
Education
Buying the future
Let's also compare their fortune with education spending, first with a poor country
Nathan Kirsh could cover the total cost of Nigeria's education system, the most populous country in Africa with over 243,000,000 inhabitants, for 5.0 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 Nathan Kirsh could pay for it entirely for 6.8 years.
Research
The monopoly on progress
Coming full circle, we think it's also interesting to add another gigantic country
Nathan Kirsh could fully fund the state research budget of Pakistan, the fifth most populous country in the world with over 260,000,000 inhabitants, for 28.8 years.
And of course, the country that invests the most per capita worldwide
But even if we compare the total wealth of Nathan Kirsh 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
Nathan Kirsh's fortune is equivalent to 117 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.
Nathan Kirsh could buy 31,279,264 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 6 trucks to transport them. Although Nathan Kirsh will almost certainly have enough money left over to pay for the gas.
Biography
The bulk of Nathan "Natie" Kirsh's fortune comes from U.S.-based Jetro Holdings, which owns restaurant supply stores Jetro Cash and Carry and Restaurant Depot.
Kirsh owns 70% of the company, which supplies wholesale goods to bodegas, small stores and restaurants in the United States.
Kirsh made his first fortune in his native Swaziland, where he launched a corn milling business in 1958.
He expanded into wholesale food distribution in apartheid South Africa, and then into supermarkets and commercial property development.
Financial Assets
Monthly wealth history
Fortune comparison
Historical data not available for comparison