Where do billionaires live?
Nearly a quarter of the world's wealthiest -- those with more than $1
billion in assets -- are based in the US, according to 2013 data from
Wealth-X and UBS Billionaire Census 2013. The United States has 515
billionaires with a net worth of US$ 2,064 billion.
And if you look a little lower on the wealth ladder, at people worth
$30 million or more, Americans account for a whopping 32% of the world's
super rich.
American women hold a lot of that wealth: $1.2 trillion worth of
assets, more than ultra-wealthy women in any other country. So where in
the states are the richest Americans? California's golden shores account
for 20% of the country's super rich, and their numbers are growing. New
York and Texas also rank high.
China has 157 billionaires with a net worth of $384 billion as at
2013. China's growth has slowed recently, but remains a hotspot for
billionaires. The country added 10 new billionaires over the past year.
That number might have been even higher, but some wealthy residents
decided to take their money beyond the mainland recently - giving Hong
Kong and other Asian cities a boost.
The moves were apparently sparked by concerns about China's ongoing
credit crunch and a recent anti-corruption campaign that targeted luxury
spending, according to Wealth-X.
To be ultra rich in China, think manufacturing. A full 17% of the
country's wealthiest, those with $30 million or more in assets, derived
their wealth from that sector.
Germany comprises 148 billionaires with a net worth of US$ 432
billion.It's no secret that Germany's robust economy helped bolster the
eurozone and drag it out of the financial crisis. That strength also
helped it to keep producing ultra-rich Germans.
Germany has nearly as many billionaires as China, despite its much
smaller population.
- CNN
|