The scale of their wealth
Health
The price of life
Let's compare William Koch's fortune with the healthcare spending of a massive country
William Koch could fund the entire healthcare system of DR Congo, with a population of over 105,800,000 people, for approximately 0.9 years.
But even if we compare their fortune with that of a rich country
On the other end, William Koch could cover the healthcare spending of Luxembourg, considered the most heavily funded healthcare system in the world, for 0.4 years.
Education
Buying the future
Let's also compare their fortune with education spending, first with a poor country
William Koch could cover the total cost of Nigeria's education system, the most populous country in Africa with over 243,000,000 inhabitants, for 0.6 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 William Koch could pay for it entirely for 0.8 years.
Research
The monopoly on progress
Coming full circle, we think it's also interesting to add another gigantic country
William Koch could fully fund the state research budget of Pakistan, the fifth most populous country in the world with over 260,000,000 inhabitants, for 3.3 years.
And of course, the country that invests the most per capita worldwide
But even if we compare the total wealth of William Koch 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
William Koch's fortune is equivalent to 13 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.
William Koch could buy 3,567,662 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 William Koch will almost certainly have enough money left over to pay for the gas.
Biography
William "Bill" Koch, brother of Koch Industries chairman and co-CEO Charles Koch, is the founder of petroleum coke and sulphur products company Oxbow Carbon Corp.
The Kansas native formed his own company after selling his stake in Koch Industries to brothers Charles and David (d. 2019) for $470 million in 1983.
He battled his brothers for two decades over the payout amount. The case was settled for an undisclosed amount in 2001.
Bill's brother Frederick (d. 2020) also sold his stake in Koch Industries to Charles and David in 1983 and was involved in the ensuing legal battle.
Koch Industries was started in 1940 by Bill's father, Fred Koch, who improved a method of refining heavy oil into gasoline.
Financial Assets
Financial assets information not available.
Monthly wealth history
Fortune comparison
Historical data not available for comparison