Ultra wealthy have twice as much private equity than public stocks

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Almost US$13 trillion of the world’s UHNW (ultra high new worth, those with over $30 million) wealth is held in private company holdings, nearly twice the amount held in public company stakes. The combined wealth of the world’s UHNW individuals – defined as those with US$30 million and above in net assets – increased by 7% to US$29.725 trillion in 2014, almost twice the GDP of the world’s largest economy, the United States.

The Wealth-X and UBS World Ultra Wealth Report 2014 forecasts that the global UHNW population will reach 250,000 individuals in the next five years. The report also predicts that Asia will be the region that sees the fastest growth in UHNW wealth, overtaking Europe in terms of UHNW wealth in the next ten years.

* The world’s UHNW population accounts for only 0.004% of the world’s adult population, but controls almost 13% of the world’s total wealth.

* North America’s UHNW population grew by 6.2% to 74,865 individuals and their combined net worth rose 6% to US$10.3 trillion.

* Europe’s UHNW population expanded by 6.5% to 61,820 individuals and their combined net worth rose nearly 9% US$8.4 trillion.

* There are almost twice as many UHNW individuals in Asia than in the Middle East, Latin America and the Caribbean, Africa and the Pacific regions combined. Yet, Asia’s UHNW population grew by only 4.8% to 46,635 individuals and their total net worth rose by less than 6% to nearly US$7 trillion. Only Latin America and the Caribbean had lower growth rates.