Surin Upatkoon
Source of wealth: Telecom, lotteries, insurance
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The scale of their wealth
Health
The price of life
Let's compare Surin Upatkoon's fortune with the healthcare spending of a massive country
Surin Upatkoon could fund the entire healthcare system of DR Congo, with a population of over 105,800,000 people, for approximately 0.7 years.
But even if we compare their fortune with that of a rich country
On the other end, Surin Upatkoon 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
Surin Upatkoon 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 Surin Upatkoon could pay for it entirely for 0.6 years.
Research
The monopoly on progress
Coming full circle, we think it's also interesting to add another gigantic country
Surin Upatkoon could fully fund the state research budget of Pakistan, the fifth most populous country in the world with over 260,000,000 inhabitants, for 2.6 years.
And of course, the country that invests the most per capita worldwide
But even if we compare the total wealth of Surin Upatkoon 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

Surin Upatkoon's fortune is equivalent to 10 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.
Surin Upatkoon could buy 2,790,453 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 Surin Upatkoon will almost certainly have enough money left over to pay for the gas.
Biography
Low-profile tycoon Surin Upatkoon made his fortune across sectors from insurance to telecom.
Most of his wealth comes from selling a 10% stake in Thai telecom company InTouch in 2013.
He owns stakes in listed gaming company Magnum, financial services outfit MPHB Capital and textile firm MWE.
He started his career as a manager at MWE Weaving Mills in 1971 and rose through the ranks.
His son, Krian, is on the boards of MWE and Magnum, while Ivevei, the older of his two daughters, is on the board of MPHB Capital.
Financial Assets
Monthly wealth history
Fortune comparison
Historical data not available for comparison