The scale of their wealth
Health
The price of life
Let's compare Steven Udvar-Hazy's fortune with the healthcare spending of a massive country
Steven Udvar-Hazy could fund the entire healthcare system of DR Congo, with a population of over 105,800,000 people, for approximately 2.1 years.
But even if we compare their fortune with that of a rich country
On the other end, Steven Udvar-Hazy could cover the healthcare spending of Luxembourg, considered the most heavily funded healthcare system in the world, for 0.9 years.
Education
Buying the future
Let's also compare their fortune with education spending, first with a poor country
Steven Udvar-Hazy could cover the total cost of Nigeria's education system, the most populous country in Africa with over 243,000,000 inhabitants, for 1.4 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 Steven Udvar-Hazy could pay for it entirely for 1.9 years.
Research
The monopoly on progress
Coming full circle, we think it's also interesting to add another gigantic country
Steven Udvar-Hazy could fully fund the state research budget of Pakistan, the fifth most populous country in the world with over 260,000,000 inhabitants, for 7.8 years.
And of course, the country that invests the most per capita worldwide
But even if we compare the total wealth of Steven Udvar-Hazy 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 0.2 years.
Gold
Everyday luxuries
Steven Udvar-Hazy's fortune is equivalent to 32 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.
Steven Udvar-Hazy could buy 8,465,864 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 2 trucks to transport them. Although Steven Udvar-Hazy will almost certainly have enough money left over to pay for the gas.
Biography
Steven Udvar-Hazy, who immigrated to New York from Hungary as a child, is credited with creating the airplane leasing industry.
He started his own airline in his 20s, but realized there was easier money to be made in buying planes and leasing them to airlines.
Udvar-Hazy's first airplane leasing firm, International Lease Finance Corp., was sold to AIG in 1990 for $1.3 billion.
He started his second airplane leasing company, Air Lease Corp., in 2010 and took it public a year later. He remains chairman.
The Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum named its sister location in Virginia for him after a $60 million donation in 2000.
After immigrating to the U.S., Udvar-Hazy packed boxes in a Manhattan warehouse for 30 cents an hour when he was 14 years old.
Financial Assets
Monthly wealth history
Fortune comparison
Historical data not available for comparison