There are over two thousand in the world, 2.101 to be precise. They share an $8,5 trillion share of the wealth. And the year 2019 doesn't seem to have been golden. Who are we talking about? Of the billionaires who were also numbered in the Billionaires Insights, the ranking drawn up by UBS and PWC on the richest men and women of the planet. Of these 2.101 Scrooge McDucks, 35 are Italian even if they are eight less than last year's ranking when they were 43. Two women and one man enter the current ranking.
During 2019, however, something went wrong and the richest richest in the world due to a very strong dollar and an equally volatile stock market saw drop their wealth by $388 billion after 5 years of growth.
“The boom in the birth of new billionaires that we have witnessed over the past five years has undergone a natural correction. The stronger dollar, as well as greater uncertainty on the equity markets in a turbulent geopolitical environment, created the conditions for this downturn. However, demonstrating how thriving their business is, billionaires continue to build and lead businesses that consistently outperform stock market indexes. This talent has also spilled over into their philanthropic activities, as this elite is always looking for new ways to contribute to environmental and social evolution. The "Billionaire Effect"It is strong and in good health around the world," commented Paolo Federici, Market Head Italy at UBS Global Wealth Management.
The joint study by UBS and PwC draws on the vast network of clients and data that both UBS and PwC have to offer insights into billionaires from around the world. The analysis is the result of more than 30 personal interviews with billionaires and their heirs and, for the first time, also a survey of more than 100 UBS client advisors.
Reading the study and taking as reference a period of 15 years counted up to the end of 2018, stock market-listed companies controlled by billionaires recorded a performance increase of 17,8%, compared to the average of the MSCI AC World index which stops at 9,1%. 2019 was a breakthrough year, as a strong dollar and volatile stock market earned investors Scrooge "only" 8,5 trillion dollars. Overseas, in America, there has been a slight increase in wealth, with 33 new billionaires in 12 months. The net number of billionaires there increased by 4,8%, reaching 749 by the end of 2018. Growth was revived by US tech titans, while existing entrepreneurs continued to maintain their growth and newcomers started making good progress.
In the EMEA region, wealth fell by almost 6,8% to $2,4 trillion. The number of European billionaires decreased by 4,9% to 598.
The Asia-Pacific region remains the one with the highest number of billionaires globally. However, the number of billionaires in APAC fell 7,4 percent to 754 Scrooge McDuck in 2018. China produced 56 billionaires in 2018, which equals one a week.
The pink shares increase in the standings, taking their space. In five years, their number has grown by 46%, the result of greater entrepreneurial autonomy and stellar divorces, such as the one between Amazon's Jeff Bezos and his wife MacKenzie, who went 36 billion in shares, making her the fourth richest woman of the planet. According to the study, there are currently 233 female billionaires in the world, compared to 160 in 2013 who are growing at a higher rate (39%) than men. In Asia, more than half, in particular 57%, of female billionaires have achieved these results on their own, while four out of 10 of the female billionaires who have achieved this result have built this wealth, operating in the consumer and retail sector. detail.
Over the past five years, the wealth of women who built their own jobs saw profits increase by 131% – from $70,5 billion to $162,8 billion – compared with multi-generational wealth which increased by 14 %, i.e. from 620,1 to 708.4 billion.
Among the most important points that emerge from the report is that of the most profitable sector for the Scrooges: the richest are those who deal with technologistspe who have seen their wealth increase more than in any other sector, thanks to existing companies and new market players.
Looking into Italy house, the total number of Italian billionaires fell by 19% in 2018, from 43 to 35. Of those 35 billionaires, three are newcomers and alone have achieved $3,9 billion in wealth. 40% of Italian billionaires are self-made, while total billionaire wealth in the peninsula fell by 16% to $142,7 billion. In 2018, the only wealth that grew in Italy was that linked to the industrial sector, which recorded a marginal 2%, going from 11,9 billion to 12,1 billion dollars.
