For the fourth consecutive year, female billionaires have outpaced men in wealth accumulation. Even as the acceleration of wealth transfer to new generations hits high gear.
Billionaires are mobile and are family-focused, and there are more of them, notes the 11th UBS Billionaire Ambitions Report, which surveyed UBS billionaire clients around the world on the challenges and opportunities they face. This year’s report addresses the forces driving global wealth creation, the increasing role of inheritance and the evolving ambitions of the world’s most influential families.
While women now make up 374 billionaires to 2,545 men, women billionaires have outpaced men in terms of wealth accumulation for four consecutive years. The average growth of wealth among women billionaires globally is 8.4%, double that of men, and continuing a trend since 2022
The data “shows how the rise of a new generation of wealth creators and inheritors is reshaping the global landscape,” said Benjamin Cavalli, head of strategic clients and global connectivity at UBS Global Wealth Management and co-head of EMEA OneUBS. “As families become more international and the great wealth transfer accelerates, the focus is shifting from simply preserving wealth to empowering the next generation to succeed independently and responsibly. This is influencing not only succession planning but also philanthropic priorities and long-term investment decisions.”
In 2025, 196 self-made billionaires added $386.5 billion to global wealth, pushing it to a record $15.8 trillion.
As the great wealth transfer is only accelerating, multi-generational billionaires inherited the largest amount in the history of the UBS report.
In 2025, 91 people became billionaires through inheritance, coming into $297.8 billion between them, up by more than a third from $218.9 billion in 2024.
At least $5.9 trillion will be inherited by billionaire children over the next 15 years, according to UBS data.
More than eight in 10 of the billionaires with children surveyed say they hope to see their offspring develop the skills and values to succeed independently, rather than rely solely on inherited wealth. Two-thirds hope to see their children pursue their own passions. And 55% want them to use their wealth to make a positive impact on the world.
“A few decades ago, succession into the family business was the norm because markets were slower to change and continuity provided stability,” explained one European billionaire, interviewed in the UBS report. “Today, globalization, faster disruption cycles, and greater risk that existing businesses may not endure in their current form have shifted priorities. With professional management more common, families now see more value in children developing resilience, education and adaptability over inheriting a role. For my own children, I hope they build independence and sound judgment while pursuing careers that bring both fulfillment and financial security. My wish is that they choose paths that make them happy, not simply focus on money or tradition, and that any engagement with family wealth or business comes from adding genuine value rather than obligation.”
Billionaires will transfer approximately $6.9 trillion of wealth globally by 2040, with at least $5.9 trillion set to be passed to children, either directly or indirectly through spouses. Looking forward, the next few decades will see growing numbers of billionaires and centi-millionaires as the great wealth transfer continues to accelerate, the report notes.
