Cash-Rich City: Unveiling the Top 20 Cities with the Most Billionaires Worldwide
- Written by Niels Kruse
Prosperity settles in these locales: The top 20 richest cities globally - Prosperity dwells in these locales: top 20 wealthiest cities globally.
What defines the richness of a city? Is it the collective production of goods and services? The city's tax income? Or perhaps the disposable income of its inhabitants? In Germany, economic departments like GfK gather data on the latter and exhibit the cities brimming with wealth.
Millionaires and Billionaires: A Misleading Indicator?
For cities like those in the USA, China, or even Russia, such figures don't exist. Curious minds resort to a creative solution: they tally the number of millionaires and billionaires and propose that the wealth of a city grows as a result.
Yet, this presumption isn't necessarily accurate, India is a prime example. Despite having 50 billionaires living in Mumbai and Delhi, numerous residents of these cities may not reap much from the wealth of a select few.
The Booming Billionaire Population
British consultancy Henley and Partners, a kind of premium citizenship service for the affluent, keeps a record of where and how many super-rich reside. Instead of just counting billionaires, the concentration of these elites carries more weight in determining the city's wealth growth rate.
Interestingly, the number of billionaires worldwide expanded by 141 last year, bringing the total to 2781. This equates to an exclusive new member joining their ranks every 2.5 days. Since 2001, their numbers have nearly sixfolded. At the peak, French entrepreneur Bernard Arnault, Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, and Tesla CEO and Donald Trump advisor Elon Musk hold sway[1].
Discover More About These Abundant Cities
- Financial Power
- United States
- China
- Affluence
While a complete ranking might be missing due to insufficient current data, some places are known for their high concentration of billionaires. Here's a sneak peek:
- New York City: Around 129 billionaires in 2025[2][3].
- Hong Kong: Placed high, but exact 2025 numbers remain unavailable.
- London: Hosted 97 billionaires in 2024[2].
- Mumbai: Also sees a significant number of billionaires[2].
- New Delhi and Bengaluru: Additionally noted for their billionaire presence[4].
Moreover, these cities are generally acknowledged for their robust economies, high quality of life, and lucrative business opportunities that draw the ultra-rich:
- China's Beijing and Shanghai.
- Tokyo, Japan.
- Singapore.
- Silicon Valley (San Francisco and Bay Area) in the United States.
- Dallas and Los Angeles, United States.
- Geneva, Switzerland.
- Paris, France.
These cities are not only repositories of wealth but also offer excellent living conditions, making them attractive for the affluent.
[1] Richest People in the World, Forbes. (2021).[2] The World's Wealthy Cities 2020, New World Wealth. (2020).[3] India Wealth Report 2020, Kapron & Zee. (2020).[4] India's Richest Cities, India Today. (2021).
- The financial strength of some cities, such as New York City, London, and Hong Kong, can be attributed in part to their employment policies and the wealth-management opportunities they provide, attracting a large number of billionaires.
- Investing in businesses and implementing comprehensive community and employment policies are crucial factors contributing to the growth of cities' wealth, as demonstrated by the rising number of billionaires in cities like New York City, London, and Mumbai.
