Arab Press

بالشعب و للشعب
Friday, Aug 22, 2025

Why the net worths of Hong Kong's billionaires are the most volatile?

Why the net worths of Hong Kong's billionaires are the most volatile?

One in 10 ultra-wealthy Hong Kong residents lost their millionaire status in 2018, and an expert says the extreme wealth loss highlights the volatility of their net worths. Hong Kong's wealthiest residents enjoy the greatest profits when the markets are bullish, but experience the steepest losses during market routs.

If you're a billionaire, Hong Kong is a risky place to call home.

At least, that is, for the stability of your net worth: In 2018, Hong Kong's high net worth population experienced the steepest drop in collective wealth of any region worldwide, according to French technology consulting firm Capgemini. The net worths of Hong Kong's wealthiest residents fell 13% in 2018, compared to the global average of 3%, according to Capgemini.

In the twenty-third edition of its annual World Wealth Report, Capgemini examines how high net worth individuals manage their wealth. Defined as those with more than $1 million, Capgemini found that 2018 was the first time high net worth individuals (HNWIs) around the world experienced the first overall decline in their wealth in seven years.

In Hong Kong, one in 10 residents who began 2018 as HNWIs could no longer be considered as such by the year's end. Such losses are not atypical for Hong Kong's wealthy residents, who Capgemini describes as "consistently sensitive to equity market movements." Hong Kong's wealthiest often enjoy the greatest profits when the markets are bullish, but experience the steepest losses during market routs, according to Capgemini's Deputy Head of the Global Financial Services Market Intelligence Strategic Analysis Group Chirag Thakral.

Thakral chalks the decline in Hong Kong's wealth up to two main factors.

"The key reason for this time I would say obviously, the market capitalization was down around 12% and then the GDP growth was a decline rather than a growth, and then the real estate market is also cooling off in Hong Kong," Thakral said. "T hose factors put together were the reasons which led to the overall Hong Kong equity market going down, which affected the Hong Kong billionaires - or the millionaires - this year."

The losses weren't limited to Hong Kong, however. HNWIs across Asia at large performed worse than their counterparts in Europe, North America, and the Middle East in 2018, Capgemini reported. In 2018, the number of billionaires in each of what the research firm Wealth-X calls "the major Asia-Pacific billionaire countries" - China, India, Singapore, and Hong Kong - declined.

And last year was the worst year for Chinese stocks in a decade, ending the year 24% lower than it was at the close of 2017, according to CNBC. The budding trade war between the United States and China also decreased global demand for Asian goods, Wealth-X reported.

The only region in the world where the ultra-wealthy did not end 2018 worse off than they began it was the Middle East, Business Insider previously reported.

Newsletter

Related Articles

Arab Press
0:00
0:00
Close
Dogfights in the Skies: Airbus on Track to Overtake Boeing and Claim Aviation Supremacy
Tim Cook Promises an AI Revolution at Apple: "One of the Most Significant Technologies of Our Generation"
Are AI Data Centres the Infrastructure of the Future or the Next Crisis?
Miles Worth Billions: How Airlines Generate Huge Profits
Zelenskyy Returns to White House Flanked by European Allies as Trump Pressures Land-Swap Deal with Putin
Beijing is moving into gold and other assets, diversifying away from the dollar
Trump Backs Putin’s Land-for-Peace Proposal Amid Kyiv’s Rejection
Zelenskyy to Visit Washington after Trump–Putin Summit Yields No Agreement
Iranian Protection Offers Chinese Vehicle Shipments a Cost Advantage over Japanese and Korean Makers
United States Sells Luxury Yacht Amadea, Valued at Approximately $325 Million, in First Sale of a Seized Russian Yacht Since the Invasion of Ukraine
Saudi Arabia accelerates renewables to curb domestic oil use
Cristiano Ronaldo and Georgina Rodríguez announce engagement
Asia-Pacific dominates world’s busiest flight routes, with South Korea’s Jeju–Seoul corridor leading global rankings
Private Welsh island with 19th-century fort listed for sale at over £3 million
Sam Altman challenges Elon Musk with plans for Neuralink rival
Australia to Recognize the State of Palestine at UN Assembly
The Collapse of the Programmer Dream: AI Experts Now the Real High-Earners
Armenia and Azerbaijan to Sign US-Brokered Framework Agreement for Nakhchivan Corridor
British Labour Government Utilizes Counter-Terrorism Tools for Social Media Monitoring Against Legitimate Critics
WhatsApp Deletes 6.8 Million Scam Accounts Amid Rising Global Fraud
Texas Residents Face Water Restrictions While AI Data Centers Consume Millions of Gallons
India Rejects U.S. Tariff Threat, Defends Russian Oil Purchases
United States Establishes Strategic Bitcoin Reserve and Digital Asset Stockpile
Thousands of Private ChatGPT Conversations Accidentally Indexed by Google
China Tightens Mineral Controls, Curtailing Critical Inputs for Western Defence Contractors
JPMorgan and Coinbase Unveil Partnership to Let Chase Cardholders Buy Crypto Directly
British Tourist Dies Following Hair Transplant in Turkey, Police Investigate
WhatsApp Users Targeted in New Scam Involving Account Takeovers
Trump Deploys Nuclear Submarines After Threats from Former Russian President Medvedev
Germany’s Economic Breakdown and the Return of Militarization: From Industrial Collapse to a New Offensive Strategy
Germany Enters Fiscal Crisis as Cabinet Approves €174 Billion in New Debt
IMF Upgrades Global Growth Forecast as Weaker Dollar Supports Outlook
Politics is a good business: Barack Obama’s Reported Net Worth Growth, 1990–2025
UN's Top Court Declares Environmental Protection a Legal Obligation Under International Law
"Crazy Thing": OpenAI's Sam Altman Warns Of AI Voice Fraud Crisis In Banking
Japanese Prime Minister Vows to Stay After Coalition Loses Upper House Majority
President Trump Diagnosed with Chronic Venous Insufficiency After Leg Swelling
Man Dies After Being Pulled Into MRI Machine Due to Metal Chain in New York Clinic
FIFA Pressured to Rethink World Cup Calendar Due to Climate Change
Iranian President Reportedly Injured During Israeli Strike on Secret Facility
Kurdistan Workers Party Takes Symbolic Step Towards Peace in Northern Iraq
BRICS Expands Membership with Indonesia and Ten New Partner Countries
Elon Musk Founds a Party Following a Poll on X: "You Wanted It – You Got It!"
AI Raises Alarms Over Long-Term Job Security
Russia Formally Recognizes Taliban Government in Afghanistan
Saudi Arabia Maintains Ties with Iran Despite Israel Conflict
Mediators Edge Closer to Israel-Hamas Ceasefire Agreement
Germany Seeks Taliban Deal to Deport Afghan Migrants
Emirates Airline Expands Market Share with New $20 Million Campaign
Robots Compete in Football Tournament in China Amid Injuries
×