What It Looks Like To Be ‘Ultra Wealthy’ in 2026
Written by
Sarah Li Cain
Edited by
Rebekah Evans
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You already know that being a millionaire in 2026 no longer means elite status. UBS Global Wealth data reported by Reuters found that the U.S. added 379,000 new millionaires in 2024, more than 1,000 per day.
But the ultra wealthy operate in a category of their own. Find out what it looks like to be ultra wealthy.
You’re Looking at $30 Million
According to a benchmark from global real estate consulting company Knight Frank, the term “ultra high net worth individual” is someone who has $30 million or more in net worth.
To give you some context, the Federal Reserve’s most recent survey of consumer finances showed that the 1% of U.S. households have around $13 to $14 million in net worth. So to crack the top 1%, ultra wealthy households hold more than double the assets of some of the wealthiest Americans.
Federal Reserve data also showed that the top 1% of households hold around 30% of total U.S. household wealth. Yes, a super small percentage of Americans hold roughly one third of the country’s wealth.
What Assets the Ultra Wealthy Have
Unlike most middle class Americans whose wealth typically consists of fully padded retirement accounts and a paid off home, the ultra wealthy hold other types of assets.
Some of these include:
- Private equity
- Commercial real estate
- Luxury residential property
- Alternative assets such as art and collectibles
The ultra wealthy do have investment portfolios, but theirs usually heavily favor ones in private markets.
Having investments in private equity means that they have access to the companies before they go public.
With real estate, holdings in commercial property help to generate income that earn more than what individual rental units can. As for luxury real estate, it could be more a wealth signal and can be part of their jet setting lifestyle.
Alternative assets may be part of their diversification strategy and another wealth signal.
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