Hong Kong remains Asia's top billionaire hub despite losing two members
Hong Kong had 106 billionaires in 2025, down two from a year earlier, as weak real estate and limited exposure to AI-driven wealth gains weighed on fortunes, according to a new report.
Despite losing two of its billionaire residents, Hong Kong retained its position as Asia's leading hub for ultra-wealthy individuals, according to the Altrata Billionaire Census 2026. The city, which ranked second globally behind New York, saw its billionaire population drop slightly, while the combined net worth of its billionaires surged to $319 billion.
Altrata attributed the decline in Hong Kong's billionaire count to persistent weakness in the city's real estate sector and limited exposure to wealth generated by the AI boom. However, globally, AI emerged as a significant driver of billionaire wealth creation, with technology-focused investments yielding 23% faster market capitalization growth compared to non-AI invested companies over the past two years.
The AI boom also contributed to a growing concentration of wealth at the very top, with the world's 29 billionaires worth over $50 billion collectively holding $4.1 trillion in 2025, marking a 7.2% increase from 2017.
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