Russia ranks fourth worldwide with 151 billionaires

Russia ranked fourth globally by the number of billionaires at the end of 2025, with 151 individuals meeting the threshold, Altrata’s Billionaire Census 2026 confirmed.

The number of Russian billionaires, as well as their combined wealth, increased during the year. Altrata attributed the growth to currency and interest-rate dynamics and higher revenues from non-oil commodity exports as Russia increasingly redirected its trade toward Asian markets.

The United States remained the global leader, with 1,265 billionaires, followed by China with 363 and Germany with 221. The US billionaire population grew 11.5% year-on-year, while China recorded a 13% increase. Germany posted the fastest growth among the 15 countries with the largest billionaire populations, at 20%.

Worldwide, the billionaire population reached a record 3,795 in 2025, an annual increase of 8.2%, or 287 people. Altrata said this represented the fastest pace of growth in five years.

The combined wealth of the world’s billionaires climbed 12.8% to a record $15.1 trillion. The average billionaire had an estimated fortune of $4 billion, while median wealth stood at around $2 billion.

Altrata identified the surge in artificial intelligence investment as a major factor driving the growth in billionaire wealth. Among 150 publicly traded companies with the greatest influence on billionaire fortunes, those that invested heavily in AI saw their market capitalizations grow 23% faster than those of other companies during 2024–2025.

The report found that the average billionaire is 71 years old, while women account for 13% of the global billionaire population. Some 62% built their fortunes independently, while 8% inherited their wealth in full.

Altrata forecasts that billionaires will transfer approximately $6.6 trillion to their heirs over the next decade, underscoring the scale of the wealth transfer expected to take place among the world’s richest families.

By Vafa Guliyeva