APPLIED WEALTH INTELLIGENCEBILLIONAIRE CENSUS 2019BILLIONAIRE CENSUS 2019RICHARD GREEN CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICERMANUEL BIANCHI MANAGING DIRECTOR AND GLOBAL HEAD OF BUSINESS DEVELOPMENTMICHAEL PHILLIPS VICE PRESIDENT, MARKETING AND COMMUNICATIONSLEAD AUTHORSMAYA IMBERG DIRECTOR, THOUGHT LEADERSHIP AND DATA ANALYTICSMAEEN SHABAN DIRECTOR, RESEARCH AND DATA ANALYTICSSTEPHANIE WARBURTON SENIOR GRAPHIC DESIGNER WEALTH-X 2019THIS PUBLICATION IS FOR YOUR INFORMATION ONLY AND IS NOT INTENDED AS AN OFFER,OR A SOLICITATION OF AN OFFER, TO BUY OR SELL ANY PRODUCT OR OTHER SPECIFIC SERVICE. ALL INFORMATION AND OPINIONS INDICATED ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE WITHOUT NOTICE.TABLE OF CONTENTSEXECUTIVE SUMMARY1 INTRODUCTION2 GLOBAL BILLIONAIRE MAP3 BILLIONAIRE PERFORMANCE IN 20185 BILLIONAIRE WEALTH TIERS9 TOP 15 BILLIONAIRE COUNTRIES11TOP 15 BILLIONAIRE CITIES13PROFILING TODAYS BILLIONAIRES - ASSET HOLDINGS, INDUSTRY, GENDER AND WEALTH SOURCE16BILLIONAIRE INTERESTS, PASSIONS, AND HOBBIES23 BILLIONAIRE ARCHETYPES27 METHODOLOGY 30 ABOUT WEALTH-X 30WEALTH-X BILLIONAIRE CENSUS 2019To Table of ContentsEXECUTIVE SUMMARYTHE GLOBAL BILLIONAIRE POPULATION AND ITS WEALTH DECLINED IN 2018.Amid a slowdown in global growth, persistent trade tensions and a late-year slump in equity markets, billionaire wealth declined by 7% to $8.6trn; while the billionaire population declined by 5.4% to 2,604, only the second time it suffered an annual fall since the financial crash a decade ago.NORTH AMERICA WAS THE ONLY REGION TO RECORD AN INCREASE IN ITSBILLIONAIRE POPULATION. Following dynamic growth a year earlier, the decline in the global billionaire population in 2018 was led by Asia-Pacific, which registered a fall of 13%. The number of billionaires in the EMEA region dropped by 5%, but there was a modest expansion of the billionaire class in the Americas (+1%), driven by a 3% increase in North America.BILLIONAIRE WEALTH FELL IN ALL REGIONS, WITH THE LARGEST DECLINE IN ASIA-PACIFIC. A weak equity market performance on the back of slowing growth, tariff disputes and emerging-market volatility resulted in a 9% drop in billionaire net worth in Asia-Pacific, outpacing falls of 7% in EMEA and 6% in the Americas.AT A COUNTRY LEVEL, BILLIONAIRE PERFORMANCES DIVERGED IN 2018. Amongthe top 15 countries by billionaire population, all saw a fall in the number of such individuals apart from the US and three European countries the UK, Russia and France. All the major Asia-Pacific billionaire countries China, Hong Kong, India and Singapore declined in population and total wealth. Meanwhile, despite positive equity markets and expanding economies, billionaires fortunes worsened in Saudi Arabia and the UAE.BILLIONAIRES ARE INCREASINGLY CONGREGATING IN A CLUSTER OF CITIES. The top15 billionaire cities accounted for almost 30% of the global billionaire population in 2018, with a total of 773 billionaires. Despite a year-on-year fall in number, the share of the top 15 cities increased by more than 1%. New York continues to be the dominant billionaire city, while Los Angeles and So Paulo were the only cities to experience a rise in their rankings within the top 15. In terms of billionaire density, San Francisco is the clear leader.BILLIONAIRES HAVE CREATED THEIR WEALTH THROUGH A WIDE VARIETYOF INDUSTRIES. While no single industry dominates, banking/finance and industrial conglomerates accounted for a third of the global billionaire populations primary industry focus in 2018. In eighth position, with 125 individuals, the not-for-profit sector has, over time, become a major area of focus for billionaires. Many individuals, once they have consolidated their fortunes, make the full-time transition toward building a philanthropic legacy.PHILANTHROPY IS THE LEADING PASSION OR HOBBY AMONG BILLIONAIRES. Morethan half of all billionaires are known to be actively involved in philanthropic endeavors. Within this context, there is also an increasing expectation from society for billionaires to give back. Other interests include sports, politics and art all of which see high-profile involvement by numerous billionaires across the world.2WEALTH-X BILLIONAIRE CENSUS 2019INTRODUCTIONOur latest edition, the Wealth-X Billionaire Census 2019, analyzes the status of the worlds billionaires, who, despite being modest in number and falling in 2018 hold immense wealth and wield a significant influence over the global economy.We explore the drivers behind this fall in the global billionaire population, the role of financial markets and the impact of key political and economic developments on billionaire net worth. We examine regional trends, from the significant decline in billionaire numbers and we