First up: the Vatican. It’s the smallest country in the world, but its financial arm is massive. The Vatican Bank, officially the Institute for the Works of Religion, manages billions.
They own priceless art. Michelangelo’s Pieta? Priceless. The Sistine Chapel? Priceless. It’s a museum with a state attached.
The Vatican also has a secret, complicated property portfolio. They own buildings in London, Paris, and Rome. It’s like a very holy real estate agency.
Funny detail: they even own a luxury department store in London. Yes, you can buy a Gucci handbag from a building owned by the Pope. That’s not a metaphor.
The Mormon Church: The Best-Invested Billionaires
Don’t sleep on the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Their wealth is almost spooky. Estimates suggest an endowment fund worth $100 to $200 billion.
They run a massive for-profit investment arm called Deseret Management Corporation. It owns farms, insurance companies, and even a hotel chain. They are financial ninjas.
They have enough money to buy Target. The entire company. And still have change for snacks. They don’t even disclose their full finances publicly.
What people value | Danijel Turina blog
The Catholic Church: The Biggest Real Estate Mogul You Never Met
Back to Catholicism. It’s the single largest landowner on the planet. They own more land than any other non-governmental entity.
We’re talking thousands of schools, hospitals, and churches. Plus huge agricultural holdings in South America and Europe. It’s a global land grab, but for God.
One funny fact: in Germany, the church collects a church tax from members. It’s a government-enforced donation. That’s about €6 billion a year. Oof.
