The Bill Gates Wealth Index
One way to examine this sort of wealth is to compare it to yours. Consider an average American of modest wealth. Perhaps she has a net worth of $70,000. Mr. Gates’ worth is 800,000 times larger. Which means that if something costs $100,000 to her, to Bill it’s as though it costs 12 cents. You can work out the right multiplier for your own net worth.
So for example, you might think a new Lambourghini Diablo would cost $250,000, but in Bill Gates dollars that’s 31 cents.
A nice home in a rich town like Palo Alto, California? Two dollars. That nice mansion he’s building? A more reasonable $63 to him.
You might spend $50 on tickets, food and parking to take your date to see an NHL hockey game. Bill, on the other hand could buy the team for 50 Bill-bills.
You might buy a plane ticket on a Boeing 747 for $1200 at full-fare coach. In Bill-bills, Mr. Gates could buy six 747s (Not tickets, the planes themselves). Two for him, two for Melinda and two for young Jennifer Katherine.
(via my colleague Tom)
