Swiss bank says bequests made 91 people billionaires, while overall number jumped from 2,682 in 2024 to 9,919 this year
The super-rich are inheriting record levels of wealth as they pass down billions of dollars to their children, grandchildren and spouses, research by a Swiss bank favoured by billionaires shows.
Globally, there are 9,919 billionaires this year, up from 2,682 in 2024, UBS found.
Of these, 91 people this year became billionaires through inheritance, collectively receiving $298bn (£223bn) in the 12 months to April, the bank said. That was up more than a third against last year and the highest since UBS started its research in 2015.
Among them are the six grandchildren of the late Asian paint tycoon Goh Cheng Liang, who died in Singapore in August aged 98. Each grandchild inherited stakes in a public company worth more than $1bn, according to reports.
