Asia has overtaken North America for the first time as the region with the most super-wealthy individuals as the number of people with $1m or more in easily investable assets hit 3.4m last year.
The finding, in an annual survey by Royal Bank of Canada and consulting firm Capgemini, highlights how the shift in economic power to a region dominated by high-growth economies is spurring a new class of entrepreneurs who derive much of their wealth from owning businesses.
It comes a year after a similar survey found that Asia had overtaken Europe in the same category, defined as those with $1m or more immediately available for investing, excluding property and collectable items.