The scale of their wealth
Health
The price of life
Let's compare Tom Golisano's fortune with the healthcare spending of a massive country
Tom Golisano could fund the entire healthcare system of DR Congo, with a population of over 105,800,000 people, for approximately 2.2 years.
But even if we compare their fortune with that of a rich country
On the other end, Tom Golisano could cover the healthcare spending of Luxembourg, considered the most heavily funded healthcare system in the world, for 1.0 years.
Education
Buying the future
Let's also compare their fortune with education spending, first with a poor country
Tom Golisano 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 Tom Golisano 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
Tom Golisano could fully fund the state research budget of Pakistan, the fifth most populous country in the world with over 260,000,000 inhabitants, for 8.1 years.
And of course, the country that invests the most per capita worldwide
But even if we compare the total wealth of Tom Golisano 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
Tom Golisano's fortune is equivalent to 33 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.
Tom Golisano could buy 8,798,627 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 Tom Golisano will almost certainly have enough money left over to pay for the gas.
Biography
Tom Golisano founded payroll giant Paychex in 1971 with just $3,000 and a credit card.
He served as CEO until 2004 and remains a director of the publicly-traded company.
Born in Rochester, New York, to a macaroni salesman and a seamstress, Golisano ran for governor three times under the Independence Party of New York.
In 2011, he sold the Buffalo Sabres to billionaire Terry Pegula for $189 million, after rejecting a higher bid that would have taken them out of town.
The father of a son with special needs, Golisano has pledged or donated more than $300 million to support children with autism and other disabilities.
Financial Assets
Monthly wealth history
Fortune comparison
Historical data not available for comparison