Smagulov Nurlan
Source of wealth: Automotive
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The scale of their wealth
Health
The price of life
Let's compare Smagulov Nurlan's fortune with the healthcare spending of a massive country
Smagulov Nurlan could fund the entire healthcare system of DR Congo, with a population of over 105,800,000 people, for approximately 0.6 years.
But even if we compare their fortune with that of a rich country
On the other end, Smagulov Nurlan 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
Smagulov Nurlan could cover the total cost of Nigeria's education system, the most populous country in Africa with over 243,000,000 inhabitants, for 0.4 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 Smagulov Nurlan could pay for it entirely for 0.5 years.
Research
The monopoly on progress
Coming full circle, we think it's also interesting to add another gigantic country
Smagulov Nurlan could fully fund the state research budget of Pakistan, the fifth most populous country in the world with over 260,000,000 inhabitants, for 2.3 years.
And of course, the country that invests the most per capita worldwide
But even if we compare the total wealth of Smagulov Nurlan 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
Smagulov Nurlan's fortune is equivalent to 9 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.
Smagulov Nurlan could buy 2,477,633 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 0 trucks to transport them. Although Smagulov Nurlan will almost certainly have enough money left over to pay for the gas.
Biography
Nurlan Smagulov is the founder and president of Astana Group, a Kazahkstani business with interests in car dealerships and shopping malls.
The group was founded in 1992 as Astana Motors, a car dealership, which now operates as a distributor and dealer for over a dozen automobile brands, as well as a manufacturer of passenger and commercial vehicles.
Smagulov launched one of the country's first modern shopping and entertainment center formats, MEGA, in 2006.
In 2025, he built Kazakhstan's first private museum of contemporary art, the Almaty Museum of Arts, investing more than $120 million in the project.
The museum will include works by Richard Serra, Anselm Kiefer, Yayoi Kusama, and Bill Viola, as well as art by Yinka Shonibare, Jaume Plensa, and Alicja Kwade created specifically for the museum.
Financial Assets
Financial assets information not available.
Monthly wealth history
Fortune comparison
Historical data not available for comparison