The global number of billionaires rose by 7 percent worldwide over the 12 months ended April 6, 2023, as reported in the UBS Billionaires Ambition Report.
The number increased from 2,376 to end the period at 2,544. Wealth recovered by 9 percent in nominal terms, from $11.0 trillion to $12.0 trillion, led by Europe’s billionaires for the first time in the history of the study (although it was flat in real terms, with global inflation of 8.8 percent in 2022, according to the IMF). The billionaire community remains smaller than at its 2021 peak.
Another finding was that new billionaires acquired greater wealth through inheritance than entrepreneurship. A total of $150.8 billion was inherited by 53 heirs, exceeding the 84 new self-made billionaires’ total of $140.7 billion.
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