Being a millionaire, or having a net worth valuation of $1 million or more, represents a level of wealth unattainable for most people. According to Credit Suisse’s 2021 Global Wealth Report, there are estimated to be over 46 million millionaires worldwide. This equates to just under 1% of the global adult population holding millionaire status.
The United States continues to host the highest concentration of millionaires globally, with over 22 million individuals whose assets exceed $1 million in value. Other nations with significant millionaire populations include China, Japan, Germany, the United Kingdom, France, Canada, Australia, Switzerland, Italy and South Korea.
Article Highlights
Let’s take a closer look at some of the notable people who have achieved millionaire status worldwide:
Millionaires by Region
North America

- Jeff Bezos – Born in New Mexico, Bezos is the founder and CEO of Amazon. He is currently the world’s richest person with a $167 billion net worth.
- Elon Musk – Originally from South Africa, Musk is the CEO of Tesla Motors and SpaceX. His net worth is around $151 billion.
- Bill Gates – The Seattle native co-founded Microsoft and has a net worth of $124 billion. Gates is also known for his philanthropy.
- Mark Zuckerberg – Born in New York, Zuckerberg co-founded Facebook and has amassed a $67 billion fortune.
- Warren Buffett – The legendary Nebraska investor has a net worth of over $100 billion through his holding company Berkshire Hathaway.
Europe

- Bernard Arnault – The French billionaire behind luxury brands like Louis Vuitton has a net worth of $138 billion.
- Amancio Ortega – The Spanish founder of clothing chain Zara has $55 billion in net assets.
- Françoise Bettencourt Meyers – The French heiress and L’Oreal shareholder has a $49 billion fortune.
- François Pinault – The French luxury retail mogul behind brands like Gucci has amassed $42 billion.
- Mikhail Prokhorov – The Russian precious metals investor is worth $18 billion.
Asia

- Mukesh Ambani – The Indian industrialist behind conglomerate Reliance Industries is worth $90 billion.
- Gautam Adani – Another Indian tycoon, Adani has accumulated $85 billion through ports, coal mining, and other ventures.
- Zhong Shanshan – The Chinese billionaire founder of bottled water giant Nongfu Spring has a net worth of $65 billion.
- Zhang Yiming – Born in China, Zhang founded TikTok app developer ByteDance and has $50 billion in assets.
- Lee Shau Kee – The Hong Kong real estate mogul has built a net worth estimated at $31 billion.
Latin America
- Eduardo Saverin – The Brazil-born co-founder of Facebook has $10 billion in net assets.
- Jorge Paulo Lemann – This investor behind brewing giant AB InBev has a net worth of $15 billion.
- Carlos Slim Helu – The Mexican businessman is worth $52 billion through firms like America Movil.
- Iris Fontbona – The Chilean widow of a mining tycoon has a $19 billion fortune.
- Ernesto Bertarelli – The Swiss-Italian pharmaceuticals heir has $15 billion in net wealth.
The diverse backgrounds and industries of these millionaires illustrate how different talents, skill sets, and circumstances can drive extreme wealth accumulation worldwide.
Also read: How Many UK Millionaires Govt
Millionaire Demographics
Analyzing the demographics of the global millionaire population reveals several interesting trends:
- The average age of millionaires is approximately 62 years old. Building significant wealth often requires decades of work, investment, and asset appreciation.
- Over 65% of millionaires are self-made, having built their wealth in their lifetime rather than inheriting family fortunes. Drive and ingenuity play major roles.
- Over 75% of millionaires are men, reflecting gender wealth disparities present worldwide. However, women are slowly closing wealth and income gaps.
- Around 10% of global millionaires are under age 50. Younger high-net-worth individuals often come from finance, technology, entertainment, or sports.
- The U.S. has a higher proportion of young millionaires at 15% under 50, benefitting from thriving tech and startup ecosystems.
- Only around 10% of affluent families globally can maintain millionaire status for three generations. Sustaining wealth requires financial savvy.
- Millionaires tend to concentrate in major metropolitan areas which offer higher incomes and more wealth creation opportunities.
Self-Made Millionaire Success Stories
Self-made millionaires who worked their way up from modest beginnings include:
- Jan Koum – The Ukrainian-born tech entrepreneur co-founded WhatsApp, which sold to Facebook for $19 billion in 2014. His net worth stands at $8 billion.
- Howard Schultz – Schultz grew up in Brooklyn housing projects but went on to build Starbucks into a global coffee empire. He has a net worth of $4 billion.
- Oprah Winfrey – Born into poverty in Mississippi, Winfrey became America’s wealthiest African-American of the 20th century with a $2.6 billion fortune.
- Ralph Lauren – The son of immigrant parents, Lauren built a multi-billion dollar fashion empire starting with a line of neckties. He is worth $5.5 billion.
- Guy Laliberté – The Canadian college dropout pioneered the Cirque du Soleil circus company and has $1.6 billion in assets.
- Andrea Reyes – A college dropout, Reyes went on to build a $950 million skincare line under L’Occitane en Provence.
- Kenny Troutt – The founder of long-distance phone company Excel Communications built assets of $1.5 billion starting with a $250 initial investment.
These inspiring individuals show how grit and perseverance can pay off for those with vision and determination.
Also read: How Many Millionaires Countries Are There in the World?
Millionaire Trends by Industry
Certain industries produce more millionaires due to high earning potential:
- Finance – Hedge funds, investment banking, venture capital, private equity, and wealth management have heavy concentrations of millionaires.
- Technology – Innovators and executives at firms like Apple, Microsoft, Alphabet, Meta and Netflix commonly become wealthy.
- Entertainment – Sports, movies, music, and television offer paths to extreme wealth and celebrity.
- Real Estate – Property investors and developers frequently attain high net worths, often converting equity into new ventures.
- Healthcare – Doctors, surgeons, and other practitioners in high-demand specialties regularly gain millionaire status.
- Energy – Founders and CEOs of oil, gas, and coal firms tend to accumulate substantial fortunes.
- Manufacturing – Builders of globally scaled brands in automotive, aviation, machinery, chemicals, and diversified sectors amass wealth.
In addition to these sectors, old-money families often retain wealth for multiple generations. Overall, the nearly 47 million millionaires in the world reflect tremendous diversity in origins and earning potential through determination and success.