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(New York, Associated Press) – A robust rally in global equity markets has propelled the worldwide count of billionaires, with nearly 300 individuals joining the ranks of the ultra-rich over the past year, according to a new analysis.

The 2025 Billionaire Report, released by Swiss bank UBS on Thursday (local time), reveals that as of April of this year, the total number of individuals globally with assets exceeding $1 billion (approximately 1.5 trillion Korean Won) reached 2,919. This figure represents an 8.8% increase from the previous year. Furthermore, the aggregate wealth held by these billionaires has surged by 13% year-over-year, totaling a massive $15.8 trillion (approximately 23,000 trillion Korean Won).

 
New Faces and Shifting Dynamics

The year saw 287 new entrants into the billionaire club, marking the highest influx since 2021, when asset prices soared due to pandemic-response stimulus measures.

The report details several notable entrepreneurs who achieved billionaire status: Ben Lamm, founder of U.S. biotechnology company Colossal Biosciences; Michael Dorrell, co-founder of infrastructure investment firm Stonepeak Partners; brothers Zhang Hongchao and Zhang Hongfu, founders of the Chinese bubble tea and ice cream chain 'Mixue Bingcheng'; and Justin Sun, creator of the cryptocurrency Tron.

However, the path to nine-figure wealth is not solely through entrepreneurship. The report also notes that 91 new billionaires inherited their fortunes.

 
The Future of Wealth: Inheritance vs. Innovation

The demographic trends among the world's billionaires suggest a coming shift in how wealth is acquired. The report posits: "Demographic trends based on the age of billionaires suggest that the number of inheriting billionaires will continue to grow, while the future wealth of entrepreneurs is harder to predict."

The analysis underscores a duality in the current economic landscape: "Certainly, this is an era of exceptional business innovation, but it is also an era of uncertainty." As the current cohort of entrepreneurs ages, a significant transfer of intergenerational wealth is anticipated, which is expected to further boost the number of billionaires who attain their status through inheritance rather than self-made ventures. This contrasts with the unpredictable yet highly dynamic path of those who accumulate wealth through business disruption and technological advancement in rapidly evolving sectors.

The continuing strength of global stock markets has been a key factor underpinning the wealth increase, consolidating the position of existing billionaires while creating opportunities for newcomers, particularly in high-growth technology and finance sectors. The report serves as a stark indicator of the ongoing concentration of global wealth.

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