Pang Kang
Source of wealth: Soy sauce
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The scale of their wealth
Health
The price of life
Let's compare Pang Kang's fortune with the healthcare spending of a massive country
Pang Kang could fund the entire healthcare system of DR Congo, with a population of over 105,800,000 people, for approximately 3.9 years.
But even if we compare their fortune with that of a rich country
On the other end, Pang Kang could cover the healthcare spending of Luxembourg, considered the most heavily funded healthcare system in the world, for 1.7 years.
Education
Buying the future
Let's also compare their fortune with education spending, first with a poor country
Pang Kang could cover the total cost of Nigeria's education system, the most populous country in Africa with over 243,000,000 inhabitants, for 2.5 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 Pang Kang could pay for it entirely for 3.5 years.
Research
The monopoly on progress
Coming full circle, we think it's also interesting to add another gigantic country
Pang Kang could fully fund the state research budget of Pakistan, the fifth most populous country in the world with over 260,000,000 inhabitants, for 14.6 years.
And of course, the country that invests the most per capita worldwide
But even if we compare the total wealth of Pang Kang 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 0.3 years.
Gold
Everyday luxuries
Pang Kang's fortune is equivalent to 59 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.
Pang Kang could buy 15,805,222 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 Pang Kang will almost certainly have enough money left over to pay for the gas.
Biography
Pang Kang was the chairman of Foshan Haitian Flavoring and Food, one of China's biggest makers of soy sauce. He stepped down in September 2024.
It produces condiments of more than 1,000 varieties and sells to over 100 countries and regions.
Haitian went public on the Shanghai Stock Exchange in 2014. It completed in 2025 a secondary listing in Hong Kong, raising $1.3 billion.
Haitian has its roots in a soy sauce shop established in Foshan city during the mid-Qing Dynasty.
Financial Assets
Monthly wealth history
Fortune comparison
Historical data not available for comparison