By Onwuka Gerald
A scientist CEO and co-founder of BioNTech SE, Ugur Sahin on Thursday joined the world’s 500 richest people after the United Kingdom okayed use of the COVID-19 vaccine that was created with Pfizer Inc.
BioNTech’s shares sky rocketed to 8% this week and are up over 250% for the year.
According to Bloomberg Billionaires Index, the scientist is now the 493rd most wealthiest person on planet earth with an astonishing net worth of $5.1 billion.
The Turkish-born scientist is a singular shareholder of a German firm that controls an 18% stake in BioNTech, and raised $150 million from its US initial public offering back in 2019.
Sahin meanwhile, joins Germany’s Struengmann brothers; who when combined, their fortune is estimated to be around $24 billion. The brothers also own about half of BioNTech.