Global billionaire wealth hits record $15.8tn in 2025 as UAE and Saudi Arabia lead surge in new fortunes

Global billionaire wealth rose to a record $15.8tn in 2025, driven by strong entrepreneurial activity, accelerating intergenerational wealth transfer and rising influence from key Middle East markets, according to the 11th UBS billionaire Ambitions Report.

The study, based on a survey of billionaire clients worldwide, reveals how shifting demographics, international mobility and next-generation priorities are reshaping wealth creation and family legacies.

UBS said the latest findings highlight the forces driving global wealth expansion, including the rise of self-made billionaires, increasing internationalisation of family wealth, and the growing importance of inheritance as a driver of long-term wealth evolution.

A new generation of wealth creators

Benjamin Cavalli, Head of Strategic Clients and Global Connectivity at UBS Global Wealth Management and Co-Head EMEA OneUBS, said: “Our report shows how the rise of a new generation of wealth creators and inheritors is reshaping the global landscape.

“As families become more international and the great wealth transfer accelerates, the focus is shifting from simply preserving wealth to empowering the next generation to succeed independently and responsibly.

“This is influencing not only succession planning but also philanthropic priorities and long-term investment decisions.

“The billionaire community is more diverse, mobile, and forward-thinking than ever before. The combination of entrepreneurial drive and the largest intergenerational wealth transfer in history is creating new opportunities and challenges for families and wealth managers alike.”

Middle East leads global momentum

The report highlights a notable surge in billionaire wealth across the Middle East. According to Niels Zilkens, Head Wealth Management Middle East at UBS GWM: “The billionaire Ambitions Report 2025 highlights a remarkable surge in wealth creation and transfer across the Middle East, with the UAE and Saudi Arabia standing out as key markets.

“Over the past year, billionaire wealth in Saudi Arabia more than doubled, reaching $81bn, while the UAE saw a robust increase to $169bn.

“This growth reflects both dynamic entrepreneurship and the intensifying transfer of wealth to the next generation. Looking ahead, heirs in the region are set to inherit around $153bn over the next 15 years, with the UAE and Saudi Arabia at the forefront of this transition.

“These trends underscore the region’s rising influence in global wealth and the importance of forward-looking strategies to preserve and grow family legacies across generations.”

Entrepreneurial wealth surges to $386.5bn

In 2025, 196 self-made billionaires added $386.5bn to global wealth — the second-highest annual increase ever recorded by the report.

Unlike the asset-driven rebound of 2021, this growth was fuelled by business creation across sectors including marketing software, genetics, liquefied natural gas and infrastructure, with the United States and Asia-Pacific leading overall expansion.

Sector performance varied widely:

• Billionaires in technology saw wealth increase 23.8 per cent
• Consumer and retail wealth grew 5.3 per cent, affected by slower European luxury demand
• Industrial wealth recorded the fastest rise at 27.1 per cent, reaching $1.7tn
• Wealth in financial services climbed 17 per cent to $2.3tn, supported by strong markets and a cryptocurrency rebound

Record year for inheritance

The wealth transfer accelerated sharply in 2025, with 91 heirs inheriting a record $297.8bn, an increase of 36 per cent year-on-year despite fewer overall inheritors.

This lifted the number of multi-generational billionaires to around 860, overseeing $4.7tn, up from 805 managing $4.2tn in 2024.

The report also found:

• Second-generation billionaires increased 4.6 per cent
• Third-generation billionaires rose 12.3 per cent
• Fourth-generation and beyond grew 10 per cent

Women also outpaced men for the fourth consecutive year:

• Women’s average wealth rose 8.4 per cent to $5.2bn
• Men’s grew 3.2 per cent to $5.4bn
• There are now 374 female billionaires compared with 2,545 men

Billionaires relocate for security and tax efficiency

Reflecting increased global mobility, 36 per cent of billionaires surveyed said they had relocated at least once, while 9 per cent are considering doing so.

Their top motivations include:

• Better quality of life: 36 per cent
• Geopolitical concerns: 36 per cent
• Tax efficiency: 35 per cent

The report notes that such movement introduces complex legal, cultural and financial considerations for global families.

Next-generation expectations

More than eight in ten billionaires with children said they want their heirs to succeed independently, placing greater value on education, skill development and personal ambition than on inherited wealth.

Key findings include:

• Over two-thirds want heirs to pursue their own passions
• More than half want wealth used to create positive global impact
• 43 per cent hope their children will continue and grow the family business

Billionaires also believe younger generations prioritise technological innovation, lifestyle considerations and impact investing more than their predecessors.

The top global challenges that younger generations are expected to face:

• Technology and AI (75 per cent)
• Climate change (55 per cent)
• Poverty and inequality (45 per cent)

Investment priorities shift

Despite market volatility in 2025, North America remains the top investment destination for 63 per cent of billionaires, followed by Western Europe (40 per cent) and Greater China (34 per cent).

The report found:

• 42 per cent plan to increase exposure to emerging markets equities
• 43 per cent plan to add to developed market equities
• Many also intend to increase allocations to private equity, hedge funds and infrastructure

Top concerns for the year ahead include:

• Tariffs (66 per cent)
• Geopolitical conflict (63 per cent)
• Policy uncertainty (59 per cent)

The Great Wealth Transfer

UBS estimates that billionaires will transfer around $6.9tn globally by 2040, with $5.9tn expected to pass to children, either directly or through spouses.

The report concludes that the next two decades will see a substantial rise in the number of billionaires and centi-millionaires as inherited wealth accelerates across regions.