Thomas Kirk Kristiansen
Source of wealth: Lego
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The scale of their wealth
Health
The price of life
Let's compare Thomas Kirk Kristiansen's fortune with the healthcare spending of a massive country
Thomas Kirk Kristiansen could fund the entire healthcare system of DR Congo, with a population of over 105,800,000 people, for approximately 3.7 years.
But even if we compare their fortune with that of a rich country
On the other end, Thomas Kirk Kristiansen could cover the healthcare spending of Luxembourg, considered the most heavily funded healthcare system in the world, for 1.6 years.
Education
Buying the future
Let's also compare their fortune with education spending, first with a poor country
Thomas Kirk Kristiansen could cover the total cost of Nigeria's education system, the most populous country in Africa with over 243,000,000 inhabitants, for 2.4 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 Thomas Kirk Kristiansen could pay for it entirely for 3.3 years.
Research
The monopoly on progress
Coming full circle, we think it's also interesting to add another gigantic country
Thomas Kirk Kristiansen could fully fund the state research budget of Pakistan, the fifth most populous country in the world with over 260,000,000 inhabitants, for 13.8 years.
And of course, the country that invests the most per capita worldwide
But even if we compare the total wealth of Thomas Kirk Kristiansen 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 0.3 years.
Gold
Everyday luxuries
Thomas Kirk Kristiansen's fortune is equivalent to 56 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 Kirk Kristiansen could buy 15,003,661 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 3 trucks to transport them. Although Thomas Kirk Kristiansen will almost certainly have enough money left over to pay for the gas.
Biography
A fourth-generation owner of Lego, Thomas Kirk Kristiansen succeeded his father Kjeld as deputy chairman of the company's board in 2016.
He, his two sisters and father together split ownership of a 75% stake in the $8 billion (sales) business.
He is also chairman of the Lego Foundation and will succeed his father as chairman of Kirkbi, the family's holding company, in the spring of 2023.
His great-grandfather Ole, a carpenter, started making wooden toys in his workshop in 1932 before moving into plastic in the 1940s.
The family also owns about half of theme park operator Merlin Entertainments, which it took private with a consortium in 2019.
Financial Assets
Financial assets information not available.
Monthly wealth history
Fortune comparison
Historical data not available for comparison