Noubar Afeyan
Source of wealth: Biotech
...
...
The scale of their wealth
Health
The price of life
Let's compare Noubar Afeyan's fortune with the healthcare spending of a massive country
Noubar Afeyan 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, Noubar Afeyan 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
Noubar Afeyan 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 Noubar Afeyan 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
Noubar Afeyan could fully fund the state research budget of Pakistan, the fifth most populous country in the world with over 260,000,000 inhabitants, for 3.2 years.
And of course, the country that invests the most per capita worldwide
But even if we compare the total wealth of Noubar Afeyan 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
Noubar Afeyan's fortune is equivalent to 13 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.
Noubar Afeyan could buy 3,460,693 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 Noubar Afeyan will almost certainly have enough money left over to pay for the gas.
Biography
Noubar Afeyan is the founder and CEO of Cambridge, Mass. life sciences innovation firm Flagship Pioneering.
He's also the chairman and cofounder of biotech firm Moderna, known for its Covid-19 vaccine which was authorized by the U.S. FDA in December 2020.
Afeyan has helped start more than 70 public and private healthcare and life sciences companies over the course of his career.
Born in Beirut, Lebanon, in 1962 to Armenian parents, he and his family fled the Lebanese Civil War to move to Montreal in 1975.
Beyond his stake in Moderna, he also owns shares in several publicly traded biotech companies in the U.S.
Financial Assets
Monthly wealth history
Fortune comparison
Historical data not available for comparison