The scale of their wealth
Health
The price of life
Let's compare Torstein Hagen's fortune with the healthcare spending of a massive country
Torstein Hagen could fund the entire healthcare system of DR Congo, with a population of over 105,800,000 people, for approximately 8.9 years.
But even if we compare their fortune with that of a rich country
On the other end, Torstein Hagen could cover the healthcare spending of Luxembourg, considered the most heavily funded healthcare system in the world, for 3.9 years.
Education
Buying the future
Let's also compare their fortune with education spending, first with a poor country
Torstein Hagen could cover the total cost of Nigeria's education system, the most populous country in Africa with over 243,000,000 inhabitants, for 5.8 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 Torstein Hagen could pay for it entirely for 7.9 years.
Research
The monopoly on progress
Coming full circle, we think it's also interesting to add another gigantic country
Torstein Hagen could fully fund the state research budget of Pakistan, the fifth most populous country in the world with over 260,000,000 inhabitants, for 33.3 years.
And of course, the country that invests the most per capita worldwide
But even if we compare the total wealth of Torstein Hagen 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 0.7 years.
Gold
Everyday luxuries
Torstein Hagen's fortune is equivalent to 136 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.
Torstein Hagen could buy 36,157,776 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 6 trucks to transport them. Although Torstein Hagen will almost certainly have enough money left over to pay for the gas.
Biography
Torstein Hagen started Viking Cruises in 1997, at age 54, with four riverboats in Russia.
He had previously served as CEO of upmarket cruise line Royal Viking. He was forced to step down in 1984 after a failed bid to buy the company.
Viking caters to wealthy, American retirees and has over 70 river cruise ships, which primarily traverse Europe's major waterways.
Hagen began to offer ocean cruises in 2015 and now has six 930-passenger ships.
Since 2016, Hagen has sold 23% of Viking Cruises to TPG Capital and the Canada Pension Plan Investment Board, for a total of $672 million.
In May 2024, Viking went public on the New York Stock Exchange, raising more than $1.5 billion.
Financial Assets
Monthly wealth history
Fortune comparison
Historical data not available for comparison