Money
Visualizing the Investments of the Ultra-Wealthy
Visualizing Investments of the Ultra-Wealthy
How do the world’s richest people invest their money?
This graphic shows how ultra high net worth individuals (UHNWIs)—people with a net worth of $30 million or more including their primary residence—allocate their wealth based on data from Knight Frank’s 2023 Wealth Report.
How the Ultra-Wealthy Invest
Below, we show where UHNWIs invest their fortunes, based on a global survey of over 500 wealth managers, family offices, and private bankers that oversee a combined $2.5 trillion in assets:
Rank | Asset | Average Proportion of Total Wealth |
---|---|---|
1 | Primary and Secondary Homes | 32% |
2 | Equities | 18% |
3 | Commercial Property | 14% |
4 | Bonds | 12% |
5 | Private Equity / Venture Capital | 6% |
6 | Commercial Property Funds | 5% |
7 | Commercial Property REITs | 3% |
8 | Investment of Passion (e.g. art, cars, wine) | 3% |
9 | Gold | 2% |
10 | Crypto Assets | 1% |
11 | Other | 5% |
Numbers may not total 100 due to rounding.
As the table above shows, primary and secondary homes make up 32% of total wealth, the largest share across assets. The average UHNWI owns 3.7 homes.
Investments in stocks comprised almost 20% of UHNWI wealth, with those in the Americas having the highest share of wealth in equities (33%) followed by Europe (28%) and Asia (26%).
Private equity and venture capital investments, which include investments in startup companies that have not yet gone public, accounted for 6% of total wealth on average. A separate report shows that the average investment in a private equity company ranges between $1.8 million and $6.9 million for UHNWI investors.
Luxury Investments of the Ultra-Rich
Investments of passion, which include a range of luxury items from art to classic cars, make up an average 3% of the total wealth of the ultra-rich.
In 2023, nearly six in 10 UHNWIs said they plan to purchase art.
Likely to Purchase in 2023 | Global Average |
---|---|
Art | 59% |
Watches | 46% |
Wine | 39% |
Classic Cars | 34% |
Jewelry | 33% |
Luxury Handbags | 20% |
Rare Whiskey Bottles | 18% |
Furniture | 14% |
Colored Diamonds | 9% |
Coins | 8% |
Many of these items retain their value over time. In fact, all 10 of these items increased in value over 2022 despite a challenging economic environment which saw the S&P 500 fall over 19%.
The art market saw prices increase 29% last year, the highest across luxury items. Luxury cars (25%) and watches (18%) also saw some of the highest price increases.
The Growth of the Uber-Affluent
In 2022, there were roughly 579,000 people globally with wealth that exceeded $30 million. New York, Tokyo, and San Francisco are home to the most ultra-rich individuals worldwide. Over the next five years, this number is projected to reach 744,000—a 29% increase.
As these numbers continue to climb, demand for luxury real estate, equity investments, and luxury items will likely grow given the investment patterns of the ultra-wealthy illustrated today.
GDP
Visualizing U.S. GDP by Industry in 2023
Services-producing industries account for the majority of U.S. GDP in 2023, followed by other private industries and the government.

Visualizing U.S. GDP by Industry
The U.S. economy is like a giant machine driven by many different industries, each one akin to an essential cog that moves the whole.
Understanding the breakdown of national gross domestic product (GDP) by industry shows where commercial activity is bustling and how diverse the economy truly is.
The above infographic uses data from the Bureau of Economic Analysis to visualize a breakdown of U.S. GDP by industry in 2023. To show this, we use value added by industry, which reflects the difference between gross output and the cost of intermediate inputs.
The Top 10 U.S. Industries by GDP
As of Q1 2023, the annualized GDP of the U.S. sits at $26.5 trillion.
Of this, 88% or $23.5 trillion comes from private industries. The remaining $3 trillion is government spending at the federal, state, and local levels.
Here’s a look at the largest private industries by economic contribution in the United States:
Industry | Annualized Nominal GDP (as of Q1 2023) | % of U.S. GDP |
---|---|---|
Professional and business services | $3.5T | 13% |
Real estate, rental, and leasing | $3.3T | 12% |
Manufacturing | $2.9T | 11% |
Educational services, health care, and social assistance | $2.3T | 9% |
Finance and insurance | $2.0T | 8% |
Wholesale trade | $1.7T | 6% |
Retail trade | $1.5T | 6% |
Information | $1.5T | 6% |
Arts, entertainment, recreation, accommodation, and food services | $1.2T | 4% |
Construction | $1.1T | 4% |
Other private industries | $2.6T | 10% |
Total | $23.5T | 88% |
Like most other developed nations, the U.S. economy is largely based on services.
Service-based industries, including professional and business services, real estate, finance, and health care, make up the bulk (70%) of U.S. GDP. In comparison, goods-producing industries like agriculture, manufacturing, mining, and construction play a smaller role.
Professional and business services is the largest industry with $3.5 trillion in value added. It comprises establishments providing legal, consulting, design, administration, and other services. This is followed by real estate at $3.3 trillion, which has consistently been an integral part of the economy.
Due to outsourcing and other factors, the manufacturing industry’s share of GDP has been declining for decades, but it still remains a significant part of the economy. Manufacturing of durable goods (metals, machines, computers) accounts for $1.6 trillion in value added, alongside nondurable goods (food, petroleum, chemicals) at $1.3 trillion.
The Government’s Contribution to GDP
Just like private industries, the government’s value added to GDP consists of compensation of employees, taxes collected (less subsidies), and gross operating surplus.
Government | Annualized Nominal GDP (as of Q1 2023) | % of U.S. GDP |
---|---|---|
State and Local | $2.1T | 8% |
Federal | $0.9T | 4% |
Total | $3.1T | 12% |
Figures may not add up to the total due to rounding.
State and local government spending, largely focused on the education and public welfare sectors, accounts for the bulk of value added. The Federal contribution to GDP amounts to roughly $948 billion, with 52% of it attributed to national defense.
The Fastest Growing Industries (2022–2032P)
In the next 10 years, services-producing industries are projected to see the fastest growth in output.
The table below shows the five fastest-growing industries in the U.S. from 2022–2032 in terms of total output, based on data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics:
Industry | Sector | Compound Annual Rate of Output Growth (2022–2032P) |
---|---|---|
Software publishers | Information | 5.2% |
Computing infrastructure providers, data processing, and related services | Information | 3.9% |
Wireless telecommunications carriers (except satellite) | Information | 3.6% |
Home health care services | Health care and social assistance | 3.6% |
Oil and gas extraction | Mining | 3.5% |
Three of the fastest-growing industries are in the information sector, underscoring the growing role of technology and digital infrastructure. Meanwhile, the projected growth of the oil and gas extraction industry highlights the enduring demand for traditional energy sources, despite the energy transition.
Overall, the development of these industries suggests that the U.S. will continue its shift toward a services-oriented economy. But today, it’s also worth noticing how services- and goods-producing industries are increasingly tied together. For example, it’s now common for tech companies to produce devices, and for manufacturers to use software in their operations.
Therefore, the oncoming tide of growth in service-based industries could potentially lift other interconnected sectors of the diverse U.S. economy.
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