Susan Alfond
Source of wealth: Shoes
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The scale of their wealth
Health
The price of life
Let's compare Susan Alfond's fortune with the healthcare spending of a massive country
Susan Alfond could fund the entire healthcare system of DR Congo, with a population of over 105,800,000 people, for approximately 1.5 years.
But even if we compare their fortune with that of a rich country
On the other end, Susan Alfond could cover the healthcare spending of Luxembourg, considered the most heavily funded healthcare system in the world, for 0.7 years.
Education
Buying the future
Let's also compare their fortune with education spending, first with a poor country
Susan Alfond could cover the total cost of Nigeria's education system, the most populous country in Africa with over 243,000,000 inhabitants, for 1.0 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 Susan Alfond could pay for it entirely for 1.4 years.
Research
The monopoly on progress
Coming full circle, we think it's also interesting to add another gigantic country
Susan Alfond could fully fund the state research budget of Pakistan, the fifth most populous country in the world with over 260,000,000 inhabitants, for 5.8 years.
And of course, the country that invests the most per capita worldwide
But even if we compare the total wealth of Susan Alfond 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
Susan Alfond's fortune is equivalent to 24 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.
Susan Alfond could buy 6,290,385 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 Susan Alfond will almost certainly have enough money left over to pay for the gas.
Biography
Susan Alfond and her three siblings inherited a fortune created by their father, who started Dexter Shoe Company.
Her father, Harold Alfond, bought an old mill in Maine in 1958 and turned it into a shoemaker that sold millions of boots and casual shoes.
In 1993 Harold sold the company to Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway for $420 million of stock; the shares are worth billions of dollars now.
Susan's youngest sibling, Peter, died in 2017 at age 65 from malaria, which he contracted during a trip to Africa.
Financial Assets
Monthly wealth history
Fortune comparison
Historical data not available for comparison