Norman Asbjornson
Source of wealth: HVAC
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The scale of their wealth
Health
The price of life
Let's compare Norman Asbjornson's fortune with the healthcare spending of a massive country
Norman Asbjornson could fund the entire healthcare system of DR Congo, with a population of over 105,800,000 people, for approximately 0.8 years.
But even if we compare their fortune with that of a rich country
On the other end, Norman Asbjornson could cover the healthcare spending of Luxembourg, considered the most heavily funded healthcare system in the world, for 0.3 years.
Education
Buying the future
Let's also compare their fortune with education spending, first with a poor country
Norman Asbjornson could cover the total cost of Nigeria's education system, the most populous country in Africa with over 243,000,000 inhabitants, for 0.5 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 Norman Asbjornson could pay for it entirely for 0.7 years.
Research
The monopoly on progress
Coming full circle, we think it's also interesting to add another gigantic country
Norman Asbjornson could fully fund the state research budget of Pakistan, the fifth most populous country in the world with over 260,000,000 inhabitants, for 2.8 years.
And of course, the country that invests the most per capita worldwide
But even if we compare the total wealth of Norman Asbjornson 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
Norman Asbjornson's fortune is equivalent to 12 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.
Norman Asbjornson could buy 3,086,813 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 Norman Asbjornson will almost certainly have enough money left over to pay for the gas.
Biography
Norman Asbjornson founded HVAC company AAON in 1988 and took it public three years later.
He served as CEO until 2020, when he transitioned to executive chairman. He retired from that role in 2022 but remains on the board of directors.
AAON reported revenue of $1.2 billion in 2024.
A Montana native, Asbjornson pledged $50 million to help fund a new College of Engineering at his alma mater, Montana State University, in 2014.
Asbjornson is a U.S. Army veteran who served in South Korea.
Financial Assets
Monthly wealth history
Fortune comparison
Historical data not available for comparison