Wealth Surpasses 20 Quadrillion Won... The Super-Rich Score Big, But Where Did the Money Flow?

Sharpest Increase in Billionaire Count in Five Years
Tech Tycoons See Wealth Surge Amid AI and Semiconductor Boom
Total Assets of Global Billionaires Surpass 2,000 Trillion Won

Fueled by the investment boom in artificial intelligence (AI), the total wealth of billionaires worldwide reached a record high last year. Increased investment in AI-related companies and technology stocks is believed to have significantly boosted the assets of the world's richest individuals.

Thanks to the AI investment boom, the total assets of billionaires worldwide reached an all-time high last year. Photo by Getty Images

According to the "Billionaire Census 2026" report released by global wealth intelligence provider Altrata on September 4, 2026 (local time), there were 3,795 billionaires globally in 2025. This represents an increase of 8.2% from the previous year—the largest one-year increase in five years.

Their combined wealth amounted to 15.1 trillion dollars (about 2,215 trillion won), up 12.8% from the previous year. This marks the first time that the total assets of billionaires have surpassed 15 trillion dollars. To put this in perspective, it is equivalent to roughly one-quarter of the combined market capitalization of companies included in the S&P 500 Index in the United States in 2025.

The AI investment surge had a particularly strong impact on the asset growth of technology billionaires. Altrata analyzed 150 listed companies with the largest influence on billionaire wealth and found that the market capitalization of companies that made significant AI investments grew 23% faster between 2024 and 2025 than companies with relatively less AI investment. Altrata analyzed that this rise in company valuations directly contributed to the increase in the fortunes of technology-sector billionaires.

The rise of new technologies—such as AI, semiconductors, and data centers—has led to the emergence of new wealthy individuals and a rapid expansion of the billionaire population. Last year, there were 3,795 billionaires worldwide—a figure that reflects an increase of approximately 60% compared to ten years ago.

Jensen Huang, CEO of NVIDIA, one of the leading billionaires in the artificial intelligence (AI) industry. Photo by Yonhap News.

By region, North America had the highest number of billionaires at 1,337, an increase of 11.6% from the previous year—the fastest growth rate of any region. Europe followed with 1,081 billionaires, up 7.9%, and Asia with 881, up 6.5%.

However, the increase in billionaire wealth does not mean that their cash holdings have grown by the same amount. This is because much of their net worth is influenced by fluctuations in the prices of financial assets such as stocks. When the share price of a company rises, the net worth of a billionaire holding equity in that company also increases accordingly.

Similarly, UBS's "Billionaire Ambitions Report 2025" confirmed the same trend. According to UBS, there were 2,919 billionaires globally in 2025, and their combined wealth reached an all-time high of 15.781 trillion dollars, a 13% increase from the previous year. UBS also cited the rise in technology stocks and the wealth gains of long-established tech billionaires as key factors behind this record.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.