Bill Gates again

[Guest guest]

Hare Krishna,

 

I know that Bill Gates is known for his wealth, but here are some interesting

comparisons with some astronomy involved. I hope that you'll find them

interesting.

 

Dnd.

 

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As on July 7, 1998 Bill Gates, the richest man on the planet, was worth

$56.8billion (Rs.2.39 lakh crore)

 

This is 15.9 per cent of India's 1996 gross national product (GNP) of

$357.8billion (Rs.15 lakh crore), or more than 60 per cent of India's total

externaldebt ($93 billion). Single-handedly, Gates could wipe out India's

Rs.86,350crore fiscal deficit- and stillhave 64 per cent of his wealth intact.

 

His wealth is more than the GNPs of 85 nations, which is nearly half the

numberof countries in the world.In fact, it is more than the combined GNP of

the 29 poorest nations, of whichthe three richest are Zambia(GNP $3.4 billion,

Cambodia ($3.1 billion), andAngola ($3 billion).

 

There are 5.93 billion people on the planet. If all of Gates' wealth

wasdistributed equally to the citizens on the earth, each person - including

BillGates - would get Rs.402.29. If the money was divided among Indians only,

everyIndian would be richer by Rs.2,511.16, which is approximately twice

India's percapita monthly income.

 

If Gates gave away Rs.1 crore every day, he would have to live for another

653years to give it all away.

 

If the money was distributed over every gram of Gates' body (assuming

Gatesweighs 80 kg), each gram would be worth Rs.2.98 crore - enough to buy

6,000sq.ft. of property in New Delhi's posh Vasant Vihar area, with Rs.34 lakh

leftover to furnish it. Apound of Gates' flesh is worth Rs.1,355 crore - 73 per

cent of the A-groupshares on the Bombay Stock Exchange, and 98 per cent of the

4,799 companiestraded there, have a lower market capitalisation.

 

He could buy 4786 listed companies with his $56.8 billion. Starting from thetop,

he would be able to buy all the shares of the 33 most capitalisedcompanies in

India - Hindustan Lever, ONGC, Indian Oil, ITC and Relianceincluded - but would

find itdifficult to buy the 34th company for that he would have to shell out

anotherRs.1083 crore - or gain 364 grams! Assuming, of course, that prices

remainstable when Gates starts buying up the shares.One of the most expensive

properties available in India today is a 6,000 sq.ft.apartment at Kemp's Corner

in Mumbai on offer for Rs.10.5 crore. Gates couldbuy 22,720 such apartments - if

they existed.

 

The source of Gates' wealth, we all know, is his 21.9 per cent holding

inMicrosoft, a company which contributes 60 per cent to the market

capitalisationof the world's software companies. Since Microsoft went public on

March 13,1986 at $21 a share the stock has split seven times. Had it not done

so, thevalue of each share would have been $7798.50 (Rs.3.2 lakh), instead of

thecurrent $108 (Rs.4,536). SinceMicrosoft went public, Gates has been

increasing his wealth at the rate of61.65 per cent per annum. That is $388,001

(Rs.1.63 crore) per minute, or$145.77 (Rs.6122) per second. If he maintains

this rate of growth, he willbecome a trillionaire (1 followed by 12 zeros) on

June 26, 2004.If all of Gates' money were in Re.1 notes, and if they were

placed end to end,they would stretch for 229,017,600 km. That means 298 round

trips to the moon.Or enough to go to Mars, plus a return trip to the moon, plus

Rs.3.5 lakh tospare. If you could travel on these notes at the speed of sound,

it would takeyou more than 21 years to reach the end; at the speed of light, it

would takeyou almost 13 minutes (it takes eight minutes for light to travel from

the sunto the earth). If you spread the notes out instead of laying them end to

end,they would cover 400,806 sq.km or about 12.2 per cent of the area of India.

 

If Gates liked making expensive movies, he could make Titanic - the

mostexpensive film ever made - 284 time.

 

source: Intelligent Investor

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