The scale of their wealth
Health
The price of life
Let's compare Peter Sperling's fortune with the healthcare spending of a massive country
Peter Sperling 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, Peter Sperling 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
Peter Sperling 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 Peter Sperling 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
Peter Sperling could fully fund the state research budget of Pakistan, the fifth most populous country in the world with over 260,000,000 inhabitants, for 3.3 years.
And of course, the country that invests the most per capita worldwide
But even if we compare the total wealth of Peter Sperling 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
Peter Sperling's fortune is equivalent to 14 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.
Peter Sperling could buy 3,620,693 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 Peter Sperling will almost certainly have enough money left over to pay for the gas.
Biography
Peter Sperling stepped down as the chairman of the Apollo Education Group when it was taken private in a $1.1 billion deal in February 2017.
Sperling joined the company in 1983, about a decade after his father founded it.
The for-profit education company became well-known for its online University of Phoenix network.
His father John Sperling, former San Jose State University professor, founded the University of Phoenix in 1973.
Financial Assets
Monthly wealth history
Fortune comparison
Historical data not available for comparison