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AI Boom Fuels Stock Surge, UBS Reports Nearly a Million New Millionaires in 2025

The artificial intelligence boom is not just reshaping industries—it's minting millionaires at a record pace. According to a new wealth report from UBS, the global stock market surge, fueled by AI enthusiasm, has directly expanded the billionaire club and pushed overall wealth growth to its highest level in years.

Over the past year, global individual wealth increased by 10.8%, but the average net worth of billionaires jumped by 25%. The benefits of this wealth creation are clearly tilted toward the top. The number of billionaires worldwide rose 13% year-on-year to 3,302. Among them, 18 individuals have fortunes between $50 billion and $100 billion, and 19 are worth over $100 billion—most residing in the United States.

In 2025, nearly one million new dollar millionaires were added globally, bringing the total to over 57.5 million. A weak dollar also helped push many over the million-dollar threshold. The United States led the pack with over 440,000 new millionaires, but its billionaire growth rate was a modest 1.9%. Higher growth rates were seen in markets like Turkey and the UAE.

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UBS economists point out that the wealth of the rich is largely tied to shares in listed companies. The sustained rise in stock prices, driven by AI concepts, is the core factor behind the rapid increase in their wealth. But behind the impressive numbers lies a stark reality: global wealth inequality has further intensified. A tiny minority—just 0.001% of the global population—holds wealth three times that of the bottom half of the world's population. The stock market gains brought by AI have not been evenly distributed.

Key Points

  • Global wealth growth: 10.8% increase in individual wealth; billionaire wealth up 25%.
  • New millionaires: Nearly 1 million added in 2025, total now over 57.5 million.
  • Billionaire count: 3,302 globally, up 13% year-on-year.
  • Top concentration: 37 billionaires worth over $50 billion, mostly in the U.S.
  • Inequality warning: The top 0.001% holds three times the wealth of the bottom 50%.