An unprecedented intergenerational wealth transfer is underway among the world’s billionaire class, with Swiss banking giant UBS projecting approximately $5.9 trillion will pass to heirs within the next 15 years. This monumental shift represents one of the largest wealth migrations in modern economic history.
The 2025 inheritance landscape set remarkable precedents, with 91 beneficiaries receiving a record-breaking $297.8 billion—a striking 36% increase from the previous year despite fewer inheritors. Western Europe emerged as the dominant region for inheritance activity, where 48 individuals collectively inherited $149.5 billion. This included 15 members from two prominent German pharmaceutical dynasties, with heirs ranging from 19 to 94 years of age.
North American inheritors followed with 18 beneficiaries receiving $86.5 billion, while Southeast Asia witnessed 11 heirs obtaining $24.7 billion. Demographic analysis indicates these inheritance patterns will intensify as billionaire populations age.
The United States is projected to dominate future wealth transfers, hosting one-third of global billionaires. Approximately half of all anticipated billionaire wealth transfers through 2040 will occur within the US, either directly to descendants or through surviving spouses.
European transfers are expected to reach $1.3 trillion over the next 15 years, with France, Germany, and Switzerland leading the continental transition. India will see $382 billion transferred, while China anticipates a comparatively modest $316 billion transfer due to its relatively younger billionaire demographic.
UBS, among the world’s premier wealth management institutions, based these conservative projections on billionaires exceeding 70 years old, using Switzerland’s 85-year life expectancy as benchmark. The bank noted these estimates exclude potential asset appreciation, suggesting actual transfers could significantly exceed projections.
Concurrently, 196 new self-made billionaires emerged in 2025, with 87 originating from the United States across innovative sectors including software development, genetic research, energy transformation, and infrastructure development.