The latest statistics from the Wealth-X and UBS Billionaire Census paint an interesting portrait of the current ‘typical’ billionaire. Marketing strategies for luxury brands need to be constantly tweaked and adjusted in order to be representative of these ultra high net worth (UHNW) individuals. So just who is this billionaire to represent all billionaires?
The typical billionaire is 63 years of age and has a net worth of approximately US$3.1 billion. He would have waited until his late forties before he reached the US$1 billion benchmark and was officially considered a member of this exclusive club.
His wealth is distributed as follows:
• 46.9% private holdings
• 28.9% public holdings
• 19.1% cash
• 5.1% real estate and luxury assets
So what does this mean?
• 46.9% private holdings versus 28.9% public holdings
This shows that the majority of the billionaire’s wealth is concerned with his ownership of privately held businesses, rather than publicly held wealth. This indicates that he is confident in the performance of his businesses, exerting a high degree of control over those in which he is heavily involved.
• 19.1% cash
Approximately one fifth of his wealth is cash from previous salaries and investments. He has reinvested most of this in highly liquid, diversified securities. This enables him to invest in new business ventures and opportunities.
• 5.1% real estate and luxury assets
The ‘typical’ billionaire owns four properties. Each of these is worth, on average, US$23.5 million. His global lifestyle necessitates him having several homes around the world. Other luxury assets that accompany the billionaire lifestyle could include a number of things, such as: sports teams, racehorses, yachts, planes, cars and art.
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