Thomas James
Source of wealth: Finance
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The scale of their wealth
Health
The price of life
Let's compare Thomas James's fortune with the healthcare spending of a massive country
Thomas James could fund the entire healthcare system of DR Congo, with a population of over 105,800,000 people, for approximately 1.6 years.
But even if we compare their fortune with that of a rich country
On the other end, Thomas James 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
Thomas James 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 Thomas James 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
Thomas James 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 Thomas James 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
Thomas James'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.
Thomas James could buy 6,313,684 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 Thomas James will almost certainly have enough money left over to pay for the gas.
Biography
Thomas James inherited and grew his fortune through financial services business Raymond James, which was started by his father, Robert, in 1962.
He stepped down as Raymond James' chairman in 2017, having served for over 40 years.
He retired from the company's board of directors in February 2024.
He is an avid art collector. Part of his collection is on display at the James Museum of Western & Wildlife Art.
He is a graduate of Harvard College and Harvard Business School.
Financial Assets
Monthly wealth history
Fortune comparison
Historical data not available for comparison