"The world's richest people saw their wealth increase more than ever in 2025, but a funny thing happened along the way. Many of them seemed to decide that their best prospects for the future don't lie in on the west side of the Atlantic, even though the exceptional performance of U.S. equity markets are driving much of these gains. A growing share of the ultra-elite are quietly voting with their feet against the idea that the American Dream is still worth living in America."
"The 500 richest individuals on the planet added a record $2.2 trillion to their fortunes this year, Bloomberg's Dylan Sloan reported, lifting their combined net worth to about $11.9 trillion. Big Tech led the charge, with a euphoria about the prospects of artificial intelligence growing so large that the Magnificent Seven decoupled in many respects from the other 493 companies in the S&P 500. Indeed, Sloan reported that roughly a quarter of all the gains recorded by Bloomberg's wealth index came from just eight individuals."
"The year also saw a surge in what UBS Global Wealth Management calls " everyday millionaires," or the millionaire next door to you with wealth in the low seven digits. At the dawn of the millennium, there were just over 13 million of these folks worldwide, but that number has "skyrocketed" to nearly 52 million through the end of 2024-a more than fourfold increase. Even after adjusting for inflation, this population has more than doubled in real terms since the start of the century."
The 500 wealthiest individuals added a record $2.2 trillion in 2025, bringing combined net worth near $11.9 trillion. Big Tech and AI enthusiasm concentrated gains, with a handful of individuals accounting for a large share of total increases. The population of low-seven-figure "everyday millionaires" surged from about 13 million at the millennium to nearly 52 million by end-2024, more than quadrupling and more than doubling in real terms after inflation. Many affluent Americans report being asset-rich but feeling poor, and new economic class divisions and dissatisfaction are emerging alongside record global billionaire wealth.
Read at Fortune
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