Patrick Soon-Shiong
Source of wealth: Pharmaceuticals
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The scale of their wealth
Health
The price of life
Let's compare Patrick Soon-Shiong's fortune with the healthcare spending of a massive country
Patrick Soon-Shiong could fund the entire healthcare system of DR Congo, with a population of over 105,800,000 people, for approximately 4.2 years.
But even if we compare their fortune with that of a rich country
On the other end, Patrick Soon-Shiong could cover the healthcare spending of Luxembourg, considered the most heavily funded healthcare system in the world, for 1.8 years.
Education
Buying the future
Let's also compare their fortune with education spending, first with a poor country
Patrick Soon-Shiong could cover the total cost of Nigeria's education system, the most populous country in Africa with over 243,000,000 inhabitants, for 2.7 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 Patrick Soon-Shiong could pay for it entirely for 3.7 years.
Research
The monopoly on progress
Coming full circle, we think it's also interesting to add another gigantic country
Patrick Soon-Shiong could fully fund the state research budget of Pakistan, the fifth most populous country in the world with over 260,000,000 inhabitants, for 15.6 years.
And of course, the country that invests the most per capita worldwide
But even if we compare the total wealth of Patrick Soon-Shiong 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 0.4 years.
Gold
Everyday luxuries
Patrick Soon-Shiong's fortune is equivalent to 64 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.
Patrick Soon-Shiong could buy 16,970,652 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 Patrick Soon-Shiong will almost certainly have enough money left over to pay for the gas.
Biography
Medical doctor Patrick Soon-Shiong invented the cancer drug Abraxane. It became a blockbuster thanks to its efficacy against pancreatic cancer.
He sold his drug companies Abraxis in 2010 and American Pharmaceutical Partners in 2008 for a combined $9.1 billion.
He took his cancer drug maker NantKwest public in 2015 and his biotech startup NantHealth public in 2016.
He owns NantWorks, a network of health startups, and has stakes in media firm Tribune Publishing and the Los Angeles Lakers.
He bought the Los Angeles Times and San Diego Tribune for $500 million in June 2018.
In May 2020, Soon-Shiong's ImmunityBio was selected for the federal government's "Operation Warp Speed" to help quickly develop a Covid-19 vaccine.
Financial Assets
Monthly wealth history
Fortune comparison
Historical data not available for comparison