In the financial services industry, a high-net-worth individual (HNWI, also known as the rich, wealthy, or a millionaire) is a person who maintains liquid assets at or above a certain threshold. Typically the criterion is that the person's financial assets (excluding their primary residence) are valued over US$1 million. A secondary level, a very-high-net-worth individual (VHNWI, ), is someone with at least US$5 million in investable assets. The terminal level, an ultra-high-net-worth individual (UHNWI, the ultra-rich, super-rich, extreme wealth, or a billionaire ), holds US$30 million in investable assets (adjusted for inflation). Individuals with a net worth of over US$1 billion are considered to occupy a special bracket of the UHNWI. These thresholds are broadly used in studies of wealth inequality, government regulation, investment suitability requirements, marketing, financing standards, and general corporate strategy.
UHNWIs constitute only 0.003% of the world's population, yet hold 13% of the world's total wealth. In 2017, 226,450 people were designated as UHNWI, with their combined total wealth increasing to $27 trillion.
