2015
The
Wealth
Report
The global perspective on prime property and wealth
TheWealthReport		2015
www.knightfrank.com/wealthreport
3 the wealth report 20153
Welcome to the
2015 edition of
The Wealth Report
the wealth report 2015
Andrew Hay
Global Head of Residential
andrew.hay@knightfrank.com
+44 20 7861 1071
It is clear that 2015 will be a remarkable year in terms
of political and economic fluctuations, making it
harder than ever to predict investor sentiment and
the resulting wealth flows.
We are fortunate in being able to draw not only
on a network of over 350 offices, but also the views
of thousands of active clients and investors, together
with the expertise of our agency and consultancy
teams, including those advising on alternative
property sectors, such as healthcare, agriculture and
student housing.
I am delighted that in this edition of The Wealth
Report we share the first-hand investment perspec-
tives and experiences of Massimo Ferragamo and
Goodwin Gaw. In addition, the report also features
the latest research from leading wealth analysts and
commentators. Through our partnership with
WealthInsight, for example, we can offer an analysis
of wealth distribution trends covering almost 100
countries and over 100 cities. Contributions from
NetJets, Fragomen and Ledbury Research allow us to
focus on the critical issues of global travel and connec-
tivity, wealth migration and luxury spending trends.
Our Attitudes Survey adds depth to our analysis
by delving deep into the views of the wealthy regard-
ing investment risks and opportunities. Our coverage
of the world’s premier luxury residential markets
has been expanded to include 100 cities and second-
home destinations. And our focus on investment
opportunities covers the world.
The scope and the ambition of the report is
reflected by Knight Frank’s growth. In the last year
we have formed a strategic residential relationship
with Douglas Elliman covering New York and the
key luxury home hotspots in the US. We have also
established new offices in Chamonix, Provence,
San Remo, Venice, Sardinia, Marbella and Taipei,
as well as opening five new offices in the UK.
The reach and influence of The Wealth Report
continues to grow. We hope you find our latest find-
ings and forecasts both informative and inspiring.
If we can provide you with further research or advice
we are of course happy to help and look forward
to hearing from you.
The Wealth
Report 2015
Commissioned by
Andrew Hay
Written by
Knight Frank
Research
Designed by
WINKREATIVE
Printed by
PUREPRINT
Knight Frank
Editor
Andrew Shirley
Global Head of
Research
liam Bailey
Marketing & PR
Bronya heaver
Winkreative
Creative Director
Maurus fraser
Art Director
LESLIE KWOK
Designer
MATT Le gallez
Art Buyer
Rhiannon nicol
Account Manager
Emilie aagreen
Photography
Portraits of Andrew
Hay and Liam Bailey
taken by John Wright
at The Corinthia
Residences, Whitehall,
London, courtesy of
Simon Naudi
Illustration
Lyndon Hayes
Michael Kirkham
Joël Penkman
Jim Spencer
Definitions
UHNWI
Throughout this report, we use
UHNWI as an abbreviation for
ultra-high-net-worth individual.
Unless otherwise stated, an UHNWI
is defined as someone with a net
worth of over US$30m.
PRIME PROPERTY
The most desirable and most
expensive property in a given
location, generally defined as the
top 5% of each market by value.
Prime markets often have a
significant international bias
in terms of buyer profile.
54 the wealth report 2015
P38
Growing
wealth
creation has led
to an increas-
ing number of
buyers from an
ever-widening
list of countries
purchasing
property in a
growing
number of
global hubs
For me the
slump in oil
prices that
started
in 2014 is a
game changer
for the
economy,
and also for
property
investment
P48
contents
P28
P49
P63
06
World in numbers
Highlights from the key research findings of the 2015 edition of
The Wealth Report, including Attitudes Survey, PIRI, Global Cities
Survey and wealth distribution data
08
Attitudes Survey
Wealth worries
81% of advisors say their
clients are worried about
tax hikes — P10
NO place like home
Just over 25% of UHNWIs are
considering buying a new
home in 2015 — P12
16
Global wealth
distribution
Wealth rise
The total number of UHNWIs
rose by almost 5,200, or 3%,
in 2014. Their population is
set to grow a further 34% by
2024 — P18
African surge
The Ivory Coast will see
Africa’s largest 10-year
increase in UHNWI numbers
with forecast growth of 119%
— P21
26
Global cities
london calling
The UK’s capital city holds
off New York to take the
top spot in our 2015 Global
Cities Survey — P28
where the rich live
A graphical representation of
UHNWI wealth population data
for over 100 cities across the
world — P30
34
PIRI 2015
The Big Apple shines
New York tops our PIRI 100
index with prime residential
price growth of almost 19% in
2014. Overall, the index rose by
just over 2% — P37
Room with a view
Monaco once again tops our
list of the world’s most
expensive prime residential
property. US$1m will buy you
just 17 sq m of home there,
compared with 204 sq m in
Cape Town — P39
46
Property investment
Tangible assets prosper
The total amount of money
invested into commercial
property rose to around
$619bn in 2014. Private inves-
tors accounted for $153bn of
that — P49
ten to watch
Knight Frank experts highlight
10 trends and sectors UHNWI
investors should be aware of
— PP52–55
58
Luxury spending trends
Rule Britannia
The UK tops our new Big
Spenders Index, followed
by China and Qatar — P60
Vroom, vroom
Classic cars are still the top
performers in our Luxury
Investment Index, rising in
value by 16% in 2014 — P62
66
Databank
Wealth distribution data in detail — P66
Attitudes Survey responses by region — P68
70
Final word
Liam Bailey, Knight Frank’s Global Head of Research, highlights
the implications of The Wealth Report’s latest findings for
UHNWIs and their advisors
P41
P12
P20
Contributors and interviewees
Liam Bailey
Global Head of
Research, Knight Frank
Foremost prime
property expert
Andrew Shirley
the Wealth
Report Editor,
Knight Frank
Luxury investments
commentator
GrÁinne Gilmore
Head of UK Residential
Research, Knight Frank
Former economics
correspondent, The Times
James Roberts
Chief Economist,
Knight Frank
Leading commercial
property expert
Madelaine Ollivier
Analyst, Ledbury
Research
Luxury goods commentator
and researcher
Claire Adler
Luxury jewellery
consultant
Writer, PR advisor,
speaker
Massimo Ferragamo
Chairman,
Ferragamo USA
Scion of leading
fashion dynasty
Goodwin Gaw
Chairman, Gaw Capital
One of Asia’s leading
property investors
Kate Everett-Allen
Head of International
Residential Research,
Knight Frank
Authority on international
residential markets
Dr Pippa Malmgren
Founder, DRPM Group
Economist and former
US presidential advisor
76 the wealth report 2015world in nUmBerS
Piri
18.8%
the largest prime
residential price rise,
seen by new york
global
cities
01
london’s ranking in our
2015 global cities survey
Piri
17.3 sq m
the area of prime
property Us$1m will buy
in monaco
Attitudes
61%
of russian UHnwis are
sending their children
overseas for their
secondary education
global
cities
03
Hong Kong’s ranking in
our 2015 global cities
survey – the top Asian
location
global
wealth
50,767
the number of Us
UHnwis predicted
in 2024
Attitudes
15%
of latin American UHnwis
are thinking of changing
their country of residence
Piri
-15%
the greatest drop
in prime residential
prices, seen by
Buenos Aires
Highs and lows: key statistics
from The Wealth Report 2015
The Wealth Report contains a huge amount of data, not only from knight
frank’s own research teams, but also from leading industry analysts and
commentators. the map below includes a worldwide snapshot of the
numbers drawn from our piri 100 index; the wealth distribution data
supplied by wealthinsight; the results of our global cities Survey and the
findings of our unique annual attitudes Survey.
Attitudes
global
wealth
$0.2tn
the total wealth held by
African UHnwis in 2014
Property
1.8msqft
the area of First-world
shopping malls set to
open in nairobi in 2015
52%
the proportion of
UHnwis from
the UAe who are
considering buying a
new home in 2015
global
wealth
1,752
the growth in
singapore’s UHnwi
population, 2014
to 2024
Property
42%
of Australasian UHnwi
investment portfolios
are allocated to property
global trends
$20.8tn
the total wealth
held by UHnwis
172,850
the total number
of UHnwis worldwide
3%
increase in the
number of UHnwis
2013 to 2014
$153bn
the estimated commercial
property investment by
private individuals
82%
%ofwealthadvisors
reportingthenetworth
oftheirUHnwi
clientsincreased
attitudes survey the wealth report 201598attitudes survey 8
A global guide to
UHNWI wealth, attitudes
and investments
The Wealth Report
Attitudes Survey
The world is becoming increasingly preoc-
cupied by the lives of the rich and famous;
the more sensational the detail the better.
fuelling this trend is the growing
omnipotence of an internet that streams a
non-stop flow of gossip and photographs,
authorised or not. Some of the super-rich,
those whose wealth derives from their
celebrity status, actively encourage it,
but for most the intrusion is unwelcome.
No wonder then that the distinctly
un-voyeuristic results of our own annual
survey of the attitudes of the wealthy,
discussed over the following pages, reveal
that ultra-high-net-worth individuals are
becoming increasingly concerned about
the power of the web in terms of online
privacy and cyber-crime.
Interestingly, however, given a
potential economic slowdown in china
and continued political and economic
uncertainty in many parts of the world, it
is family and business succession issues
followed by a possible hike in wealth taxes
that are the biggest concerns for UHNWIs,
according to the wealth managers and
private bankers who advise them.
putting these concerns aside, 2014
was a good year for the wealthy. The vast
majority saw their net worth increase, and
most of the respondents to the survey said
this trend would continue for their
clients in 2015.
But with contributors from all parts
of the world, the results of our Attitudes
Survey highlight some revealing
regional trends.
Generally, UHNWIs living in Austral-
asia seem happiest with their lifestyles
– only 4% want to change their country of
residence or domicile, and very few send
their children overseas to be educated.
By contrast, a third of those from russia
and the cIS are considering a move, and
over 60% dispatch their children abroad
for their secondary education.
The results of the Attitudes Survey also
cement the position of property as the cor-
nerstone of many UHNWI investment stra-
tegies – it accounts on average for almost a
third of UHNWI portfolios. But bricks and
mortar are not the only tangible assets that
are in demand. So-called investments of
passion, such as art, wine and classic cars,
continue to attract more interest.
While our survey doesn’t delve into the
more personal facets of UHNWI lifestyles,
it provides an invaluable glimpse of their
attitudes towards property, investments
and the factors affecting their ability to
increase and safeguard their wealth, and
how those factors vary around the world.
01
Getting richer
according to the results of the
attitudes survey, 80% of wealth
advisors expect their clients’
net worth to increase in 2015
02
The joy of property
over a quarter of uhNwis are
thinking of buying a new house
in 2015, while 35% of those
surveyed expect their clients
to increase their allocation to
property investments during
the year. in certain regions of
the world up to a third of the
super-rich are thinking of
changing their domicile or
country of residence
03
The collecting bug
over 60% of survey respondents
reckon their clients are becoming
more interested in collecting
investments of passion
attitudes survey the wealth report 20151110
The fifth instalment of The Wealth
Report’s annual Attitudes Survey is based
on a detailed survey of almost 500 leading
private bankers and wealth advisors from
across the globe, and reflects the attitudes
of their ultra-wealthy clients who have a
combined wealth of over US$1.7tn.
covering many aspects of the lifestyles
of ultra-high-net-worth individuals (those
with a net worth of over $30m), from
wealth creation to philanthropy, from
property investments to luxury spend-
ing trends, the survey’s findings offer a
unique insight into the attitudes of the
super-wealthy.
last year proved to be a more profit-
able one for the world’s UHNWIs than
expected by their advisors. In 2013 when
we asked the survey’s respondents about
their clients’ wealth creation prospects
over the next 12 months, 63% said they
thought their net worth would increase.
A year later 82% said it had actually
increased during 2014, with only 3%
reporting a fall.
looking forward, the outlook is still
bullish. Despite concerns over the global
economy, 80% of survey respondents
concerned about the handover of family
wealth to the next generation.
A potential increase in wealth taxes
(81%) and increased government scrutiny
of wealth (80%) were the second and third
most vexatious issues, according to our
survey results. respondents from Aus-
tralasia were the least concerned about
increased government scrutiny, with only
44% flagging it as a threat.
The growing power of the internet,
both in terms of cyber-crime and the abil-
ity to invade privacy and damage reputa-
tions, led 76% of respondents to highlight
it as an area of concern.
Philanthropy, shopping, flying
UHNWI attitudes to philanthropy remain
largely unchanged. According to last
year’s Attitudes Survey, 21% of respond-
ents expected their clients’ philanthropic
expect their clients’ wealth to grow further
in 2015 (see p18 for our detailed predic-
tions on global wealth creation over the
next 10 years).
wealth threats
However, the road to greater riches is not
always simple, and the survey results
highlight a number of issues that UHNWIs
believe could hinder their ability to gener-
ate more wealth. Interestingly, it was not
the global geopolitical and economic
issues that tend to spook stock markets
that were of the most concern, but more
personal issues.
on average, less than half of respond-
ents said their clients were concerned
about the impact of the chinese economy
dipping (although unsurprisingly this
rises to over 70% in Asia and 67% in
neighbouring Australasia). The same pat-
tern was repeated for the ongoing turmoil
in the Middle east and Ukraine.
family succession issues were, in
fact, the number one worry, with 85%
of respondents saying their clients were
activities to increase; in this year’s survey
the figure was 22%, with three-quarters
predicting they would remain the same.
The outlook for a rise in giving was most
pessimistic in more mature economies
like europe (17%), perhaps because
philanthropy is already well established
there, compared with emerging economies
like Africa (36%).
As part of this year’s Attitudes Survey
we have endeavoured to find out if younger
UHNWIs have a different attitude to wealth
than their parents’ generation. When asked
if they were more philanthropic, 45% of
respondents said “yes”.
By contrast, when we asked if they
spent more on luxury goods, two-thirds
of those taking the survey agreed that was
the case, perhaps explaining why succession
planning is considered such a big issue.
overall, 30% of survey respondents are
expecting their clients to splash out more
on luxury goods this year, compared with
2014, with UHNWIs from Africa (39%)
enjoying their wealth the most.
The use of private jets is growing stead-
ily around the world, with demand rising
most quickly in Asia – 38% of respondents
said their clients were increasingly using
them for business and leisure purposes
(see our special feature on p40 for more).
homes, vineyards, migration
Across the world, 23% of the wealth on av-
erage of UHNWIs is accounted for by their
main residence and any second homes not
Wealth trends
The latest findings from The Wealth
Report’s annual Attitudes Survey of
UHNWI advisors
ANDREW SHIRLEY,
THE WEALTH REPORT EDITOR
percentage of respondents who think their
younger uhNwis are more philanthropic than
their parents’generation
45%
source:the wealth report 2015 attitudes survey
source:the wealth report 2015
attitudes survey
data refers to number of survey respondents who
said each issue was of concern to their clients
source:the wealth report 2015 attitudes survey
BriGht Future Most wealth advisors expect their clients’ wealth to increase in 2015
doyoungeruhNwisspend
moreonluxurygoodsthan
theirparents?
spend more
spend the same
spend less
25%
9%
66%
Wealth worries
the issues uhNwis believe could affect their wealth, lifestyles or business
China’spotential
economicslowdown
politicalinterference
Cyber-crimeand
onlineprivacy
potentialincrease
inwealthtaxes
85%
81%
80%
76%
68%
66%
51%
51%
49%
CrisisinMiddleeast
politicalsituation
inrussia/ukraine
Family/business
successionissues
increasedscrutinyof
wealthybygovernmentwealthybygovernmentwealthybygovernmentwealthybygovernmentwealthybygovernmentwealthybygovernment
health/environmentissues
THE WEALTH REPORT
ATTITUDES SURVEY
the results of the attitudes survey are
based on the responses from almost 500
private bankers and wealth advisors who
completed a survey in late autumn 2014.
the global figures are weighted to reflect the
regional distribution of uhNwi wealth popu-
lations. a full regional breakdown of the
data is available in databank at the back
of the report.
Wealth monitor
respondents were asked how their clients’
wealth had changed during 2014 and how
they thought it would change in 2015
2014 Change
region % increase
africa
89%
asia
74%
australasia
81%
europe
74%
latin america
87%
Middle east
88%
North america
100%
russia/Cis
33%
wealth has decreased
wealth has remained the same
wealth has increased
2015 outlook
region % increase
africa
82%
asia
75%
australasia
69%
europe
71%
latin america
85%
Middle east
77%
North america
100%
russia/Cis
44%
wealth will decrease
wealth will remain the same
wealth will increase
attitudes survey the wealth report 20151312
source:thewealthreport2015attitudessurvey
one of the
most revealing
questions
posed by
the survey
relates to the
number of
Uhnwis who
are planning
to permanently
change
their domicile
or country
of residence
Allocation to property in UHNWI investment portfolios
owned purely as an investment, according
to our survey results. In Australasia and
Asia the proportion edges up to almost
30%. Just over a quarter of UHNWIs are
considering purchasing another house in
2015 to add to the three they already own.
When we asked our respondents if any
of their clients were particularly interested
in a ski, vineyard or equestrian property,
a few interesting trends emerged. The de-
mand from Asian UHNWIs for vineyards
remains keen, with 40% of respondents
with clients in china, 43% in Taiwan and
31% in Malaysia noting rising interest.
In Africa (29%) and the Middle east
(40% in the UAe) equestrian properties
are more of a draw, while a ski chalet is
the top priority for wealthy second-home
seekers from europe (35%) and North
America (50% in the US).
one of the most revealing questions
posed by the survey relates to the number
of UHNWIs who are planning to perma-
nently change their domicile or country
of residence.
Australians and New Zealanders are
the least likely to want to up sticks. only
4% of those surveyed said their clients
were considering a move. By contrast,
a third of respondents with clients in the
russia/cIS region said a move could be
on the cards. This follows a response rate
of 35% in last year’s survey, suggesting a
longer-term trend is emerging.
Globally, tax was highlighted as the
main reason UHNWIs would consider
moving to a different country, but in rus-
sia education and political issues were
reported as two of the biggest drivers.
Seeking out the best education abroad
for their children is clearly very important
for russian and cIS UHNWIs. over 60%
are likely to send their offspring overseas
for their secondary education, compared
with a global average of 27%. This process
also seems to be happening sooner, with
67% of respondents noting that their
clients were sending their children
overseas at an earlier age.
investing, collecting
of course, property is not just a place
where the wealthy live. It is increasingly
seen as a mainstream investment class,
accounting on average for 32% of an
UHNWI’s investment portfolio. Globally,
37% of survey respondents said their
clients increased their exposure to prop-
erty as an investment in 2014 and 35%
expect that trend to continue in 2015.
residential property is the most
popular sector to invest in, with 81% of
wealth advisors saying their clients were
becoming more interested in it. offices
(59%) were the next most popular
source:the wealth report 2015 attitudes survey
source:the wealth report 2015
attitudes survey
property type. (See pp46 to 57 for more
on property investment trends.)
control of their property investments
is clearly important to the wealthy –
almost 80% of respondents said
UHNWIs prefer to invest directly into
property, with only 12% choosing to use
a fund vehicle.
Bricks and mortar retain their appeal
for the latest generation of UHNWIs, with
45% of respondents saying their younger
clients were more interested in property
than their parents.
outside property, equities are pre-
dicted to be the most popular investment
class in 2015, with a net balance of 45% of
those taking the survey expecting their
clients’ exposure to stocks and shares to
increase in 2015. This builds on the grow-
ing appetite for riskier investments that
the Attitudes Survey flagged up last year.
consequently, according to the survey
results, cash, fixed income bonds and
gold and other precious metals are likely
to see a declining demand this year.
Investments of passion, however,
remain firmly on the radar for the super-
rich. Globally, 61% of our respondents
said their UHNWI clients were becoming
more interested in the likes of classic
cars, art and wine.
Art is the luxury asset where interest
is rising the most – perhaps unsurpris-
ing given its accessibility – followed by
watches, wine and classic cars. Stamps
arouse the least passion around the
world, but there is a noticeable difference
in Africa and Asia, where 14% and 8%,
respectively, of survey respondents noted
increasing interest. Drilling down, the
figure rises to 17% for china.
This matches the recent rise in prices
for Asian and commonwealth stamps.
for more on the performance of luxury
investments turn to p62.
Despite collectable assets commonly
being described as investments of pas-
sion, personal pleasure is still the main
motivation for their acquisition, accord-
ing to 62% of those surveyed. In India,
however, status (38%) was considered
almost as important, and across Asia
capital growth (32%) was a key factor.
For full regional results see Databank,
pp68–69.
MasterClass art is the most popular investment of passion, according to the attitudes survey
House hunting
respondents were asked what percentage
of their clients were considering purchasing
a new home in 2015
Emigrating
respondents were asked what percentage of their
clients were considering permanently changing
their domicile or country of residence
africa 23%
asia 22%
australasia 15%
europe 24%
latin america 28%
36%Middle east
31%North america
21%russia/Cis
11%
12%
4%
14%
15%
10%
7%
33%
africa
asia
australasia
europe
latin america
Middle east
North america
russia/Cis
42%australasia
40%Middle east
38%asia
33%europe
31%africa
27%russia/Cis
26%latin america
24%North america
How is the allocation changing?
allocation increase
allocation remains the same
allocation decrease
2014
37%
55%
8%
2015forecast
10%
35%
54%
percentage of uhNwis who are becoming
more interested in investments of passion
61%
percentage of respondents who said
their uhNwi clients were more interested
in collecting:
3%63% 48%
stampsart wine
PERCENTAGE OF
UHNWIS LIKELY TO
SEND THEIR CHILDREN
OVERSEAS FOR
THEIR SECONDARY
EDUCATION
australia
3%
China
42%
russia
50%
attitudes survey the wealth report 20151514
Wealth trends under
the microscope
Leading wealth experts share
their views on key findings
from the Attitudes Survey
The results of The Wealth Report Attitudes Survey discussed
over the preceding pages provide a unique glimpse into the
attitudes, concerns and investment choices of UHNWIs from
around the world. To look at some of the issues raised in more
detail, we asked leading specialists from various sectors of the
wealth industry, including private banking, investment, family
offices, education and legal services, to share their own insights
into specific trends and highlight what the implications could
be for UHNWIs and their advisors.
As an
investor you
should
devote your
attention to
things that
a) matter, and
b) you can do
something
about
Philanthropic attitude change
Millennials (to use the new parlance for
under-40s) take seriously the notion
of stewardship and social responsibility.
This may not be news, exactly, but what
differentiates millennials from their
parents is the inclination to use robust
and/or sophisticated management tech-
niques for family philanthropy. The steel
magnate model of philanthropy is giving
way to that of measuring impact not only
through the aforementioned implementa-
tion of business models for philanthropy,
but also through the use of metrics to
evaluate the potency of value-informed
investments. While wealth managers
still need to employ tax-efficient and
long-term wealth management vehicles
for UHNW millennials, they can also ex-
pect to implement values-based consider-
ations into investment portfolios. Service
providers supporting UHNWIs through
intergenerational wealth management
services (read here, family offices) can
expect family giving to evolve from a
redistributive model towards managed
and measured philanthropic initiatives.
Andrew Porter, Director of
Research, Campden wealth
Overseas education
Recently, leading public schools have start-
ed to insist overseas applicants complete
at least two years in a UK-based prepara-
tory school. Clients from areas that are
already well represented in the independ-
ent system, such as Russia, Nigeria and
the Middle Eastern states, have realised
the dramatic effect that an earlier move
to a UK school can bring. Leading public
schools carry out rigorous preassessments
when children are 10 or 11. Preparing for
these tests from within the system greatly
increases a student’s chance of success. For
all these reasons, we are seeing renewed
interest in boarding preparatory schools
and London day schools from most of our
international clients.
William Petty, Director, Bonas
MacfaRlane Education
Luxury investment
In our experience UHNWIs are becom-
ing more and more concerned about
paper assets such as bonds and equities,
and are increasingly looking for tangible
alternatives. The scarcity of luxury assets
and their historic ability to hedge against
inflation make them an appealing invest-
ment proposition – it is always possible
to commission a new yacht, but nobody
can paint another Monet or build a classic
Ferrari. Increasing demand and limited
supply suggest that capital growth could
continue. There are risks, however, like
fraud and poor portfolio diversification.
To remove some of these risks, inves-
tors should express their views on luxury
through a multi-asset solution.
Saeed Patel, Investment Analyst,
Schroders
Attitudes to risk
As an investor you should devote your
attention to things that a) matter, and b)
you can do something about. Geo-poli-
tical events, though of huge significance
in most ways, matter much less to the
returns of a long-term investor than inves-
tors think they do, while they’re thinking
about them. And they are typically so
unpredictable that it is nearly impossible
to do much about them in the short term
with any certainty. So it is uncommonly
reassuring to observe from the Attitudes
Survey results that clients instead seem
to be rightly much more focused on
the certain things they can actually
do something about, such as planning
for succession, taxes, government scru-
tiny and privacy/security. Or at least their
advisors think they are – which may not
be quite the same thing.
Dr Greg B Davies, Head of
Behavioural Finance, Barclays
Online perils
A reputation is an individual’s most valu-
able asset, and in an increasingly digital
age, cyber-crime and online privacy are
big concerns. We are increasingly being
asked by high-net-worth individuals how
they can go about protecting their reputa-
tion. It is vital to conduct a reputation
management audit as soon as possible.
This will focus on maintaining or taking
control of an individual’s reputation. The
first area to look at is information that
the individual, or friends and family, has
direct control over, such as social media
accounts and personal websites. It’s also
important that family and friends are
aware of the risks of posting information
online, as it could damage the individual.
The more that can be done at the
proactive stage, the better.
Niri Shan, Head of Reputation
Management, Taylor Wessing
1716 the wealth rePort 20151616
a comprehensive
analysis of how wealth
is distributed around
the world
Global
wealth trends
With the help of data from WealthInsight,
The Wealth Report provides a unique and
comprehensive analysis of how global
wealth distribution is changing and is pre-
dicted to change over the next 10 years.
Last year, around 15 people a day
joined the ranks of the ultra-wealthy, or
those worth over US$30m. This growth
is set to continue in the coming decade,
with the global population of ultra-high-
net-worth individuals forecast to climb by
34% to a total of almost 231,000.
Our data also allows us to look at
wealth distribution trends at a granular
country level. As such, we can highlight
specific wealth-creation hotspots, for
example, Kazakhstan, where the number
of UHNWIs is set to grow by 114% over the
next decade. But topping the list of the
almost 100 countries we examine is Viet-
nam, with a forecast uplift of 159%
in its UHNWI population.
Taking a different angle on the data,
we can see how evenly wealth is distrib-
uted within a country. While Monaco,
unsurprisingly, perhaps, given that most
of its residents are very wealthy, tops this
list, with the equivalent of 574 UHNWIs
per 100,000 people, the other countries
that emerge at the top are perhaps more
surprising. The, US with 12.7 UHNWIs per
100,000 head of population, is some
way behind countries in Scandinavia,
New Zealand and the UK. Despite the
sharp rise in the number of Chinese
UHNWIs, there are still only 0.6 UHNWIs
per 100,000 people in China because of
the size of the country’s population.
Wealth, or more specifically, its
uneven distribution, has become an
increasing subject of debate over
the past few years. Some, such as the
controversial French economist
Thomas Piketty, argue that governments
should take action and levy higher taxes
on the rich in order to re-distribute
wealth. Others, like our contributor Dr
Pippa Malmgren, believe that higher
taxes could actually prove a barrier to
economic growth, undermining the
opportunity for wealth creation across
every stratum of society.
In developing countries significant
amounts of wealth are already being
created by a growing and increasingly
aspirational middle class. On p23 we
examine the importance of this movem
ent across the world, not only as a gen-
erator of wealth but also in terms of the
increased political power it commands,
and how this may be set to change the
geopolitical landscape.
01
Wealth rises
the global population of uhnwis
rose by almost 5,200, or 3%,
in 2014, and 53 new billionaires
were created
02
future growth
over the next 10 years the
number of uhnwis around the
world is forecast to rise by 34%
to almost 231,000. Growth will
be strongest in developing regions,
with africa’s ultra-wealthy
population rising by 59%
03
regional shifts
asian uhnwis now hold more
total wealth ($5.9tn) than those
in north america ($5.5tn)
Global wealth distribution
1918 the wealth rePort 2015Global wealth distribution 18
The global population of ultra-high-net-
worth individuals grew by almost 5,200
last year, according to data prepared
exclusively for The Wealth Report by the
analyst firm WealthInsight.
This latest increase means 65,335
people have joined the ranks of the
ultra-wealthy over the past decade –
a rise of 61%. In total, there are now
172,850 individuals in this cohort who
hold wealth totalling $20.8tn, an
increase of $700bn during 2014.
Moving up the wealth brackets, nearly
1,180 people became centa-millionaires in
2014, taking the world’s total population
of those worth over $100m to 38,280.
At the top of the wealth tree 53 individ-
uals became billionaires last year, pushing
global membership of this exclusive club
to 1,844 – an 82% rise from the number
recorded in 2004.
The annual pace of wealth creation also
quickened in 2014 compared with 2013,
albeit slightly. The number of UHNWIs
grew by 3.1% last year, compared with
2.9% in the previous 12 months. But at a
regional level the differences were more
marked.
Most notably, Asia overtook North
America as the region with the second-
largest UHNWI growth. Some 1,419 people
moved past the $30m+ mark in Asia in
2014, after an increase of fewer than 1,000
in 2013. Europe held onto the top spot
with the most new entrants into the
ultra-wealthy bracket over 2014.
The ultra-wealthy in Asia now also
hold more in total wealth, with net assets
of $5.9tn, than those in North America,
with $5.5tn. However, with a $6.4tn
treasure chest, European UHNWIs still
control the most wealth.
Last year’s rise in UHNWI numbers
came despite weaker-than-anticipated
global economic growth. During 2014 the
IMF was forced to downgrade its forecast
increase for world output from 3.7%
to 3.3%.
Throughout the course of 2014, politi-
cal tensions mounted, while increased
For full details of wealth distribution trends and forecasts for each
world region and for almost 100 countries turn to databank, p66
uhnwI population
growth continues
The Wealth Report highlights
key current and future global
wealth distribution trends
GrÁinne Gilmore, Head of UK
residential researcH
uncertainty over the ramifications of
withdrawing fiscal stimulus measures
in the US affected sentiment in
many regions.
Towards the end of the year plunging
oil prices and the strengthening dollar
also hit emerging markets, as well as key
natural resource exporters like Nigeria,
Russia and Mexico.
Ouliana Vlasova, Head of Content
at WealthInsight, says: “The positive
outcomes for developed economies at the
start of 2014 positively influenced wealth
creation. However, that picture changed
throughout the year. The growth in wealth
could perhaps have been bigger had the
world economy picked up more strongly
in the second half of last year.”
The outlook for the rest of this year is
also mixed. Although the IMF has down-
graded its own forecasts for annual growth
in world output from 3.8% to 3.5%, this is
still slightly stronger than the growth in
2014. Emerging economies are expected
to grow by 4.3%, compared with 2.4% for
developed economies.
Economic headwinds
There is certainly evidence that
beneath the economic headwinds, some
central banks and governments have been
getting to grips with the serious repair
work needed in the wake of the global
financial crisis.
However, fears over economic weak-
ness in the eurozone prompted the Euro-
pean Central Bank to start a programme
of quantitative easing earlier this year, a
signal of the headwinds still facing devel-
oped economies.
Yet the longer-term forecast for wealth
creation, anticipating how wealthy popu-
lations will have changed a decade from
now, is still upbeat. Looking through the
shorter-term uncertainties, WealthInsight
predicts the number of ultra-wealthy
people will grow globally by 34% between
2014 and 2024, up from a forecast of
28% growth between 2013 and 2023 (see
graphic for regional predictions).
Ms Vlasova says: “We expect the
measures that are being put into place to
uhnwI populations and total wealth by region in 2014
172,850
Global uhnwi
population 2014
$20.8tn
Global uhnwi
wealth 2014
34%
Predicted global
uhnwi population
growth 2014 to 2024
all data provided by
countries with UHnWi population growth of 5% or above in 2014
Zambia
Mongolia
namibia
Kazakhstan
China
uruguay
iran
Vietnam
uae
Panama
hong Kong
nigeria
uganda
Myanmar
Monaco 10%
7%
7%
6%
6%
6%
6%
6%
5%
5%
5%
5%
5%
5%
5%
russia/Cis
2,068
Predicted uhnwi 10-yr growth 25%
total uhnwi wealth $0.6tn
asia
42,272
Predicted uhnwi 10-yr growth 48%
total uhnwi wealth $5.9tn
australasia
3,920
Predicted uhnwi 10-yr growth 23%
total uhnwi wealth $0.4tn
latin america
9,902
Predicted uhnwi 10-yr growth 50%
total uhnwi wealth $1.2tn
europe
60,565
Predicted uhnwi 10-yr growth 25%
total uhnwi wealth $6.4tn
africa
1,932
Predicted uhnwi 10-yr growth 59%
total uhnwi wealth $0.2tn
Middle east
7,269
Predicted uhnwi 10-yr growth 40%
total uhnwi wealth $0.7tn
north america
44,922
Predicted uhnwi 10-yr growth 25%
total uhnwi wealth $5.5tn
2120 the wealth report 2015Global wealth distribution
While Monaco is set to double its
population of ultra-wealthy residents over
the next 10 years, it will not quite keep
up with the rate of growth in some other
economies, including Vietnam, the Ivory
Coast, Kazakhstan and Indonesia, which
are forecast to see the largest increases in
UHNWI populations over the next decade
(see chart above).
We identified Kazakhstan last year as a
country to watch, and this is still the case.
It is set for a 114% increase in UHNWIs
over the next 10 years, much higher than
the 46% growth forecast for neighbouring
Russia. Indeed, most of the CIS countries
are set to outperform Russia in terms of
UHNWI growth – not only because of
the military and fiscal turbulence in the
country, but also because of the trend in
Russia for those who have amassed wealth
to base themselves overseas. Almost one-
third of Russian UHNWIs would like to
change their domicile, according to the
Attitudes Survey.
Indonesia, which is expected to see
132% growth in the number of ultra-
wealthy people by 2024, is the only MINT
country where 10-year forecast growth
exceeds 100%. Jim O’Neill, former Chair-
man of Goldman Sachs, popularised the
acronym MINT for Mexico, Indonesia,
Nigeria and Turkey, identifying them
as the new engines of economic growth.
Nigeria comes close to Indonesia with
90% forecast growth in UHNWIs. It is
striking, however, that even this level
of growth is not enough to clinch the top
spot for Africa, which is taken by the Ivory
Coast (+119%). Deon de Klerk, Head of
International Private Clients at Standard
safeguard against another financial crisis
will contribute to improved economic
conditions over the next decade, coupled
with government initiatives to create
more entrepreneurs – one of the main
drivers of millionaire growth.”
Asia is set to lead the way, with another
20,127 people likely to see their wealth
move past $30m during the next decade.
Looking in more detail at our data,
which includes a comprehensive analysis
of wealth distribution for over 100
countries, we see a number of other
key trends emerge.
Despite the turbulence in some cor-
ners of the global economy as a result
of renewed political tensions and fiscal
uncertainty in 2014, some countries expe-
rienced particularly strong wealth crea-
tion last year, with UHNWI populations
expanding by 5% or more in 15 countries
(see chart on p18).
Twelve of these countries were emerg-
ing economies, underlining the fact that
despite concerns about the easing of the
pace of growth in developing economies,
they are still key drivers of wealth crea-
tion.
But it is also notable that it was
Monaco, the well-established hub for
wealth, that topped the list for growth last
year, with a 10% expansion in its popula-
tion of UHNWIs. The number of centa-
In terms of
sheer numbers,
the US will
still be the
dominant force
in terms of its
ultra-wealthy
population in
2024
Countries with highest forecast growth in UHNWI populations, 2014-2024
millionaires (those with over $100m in
net assets) in the principality jumped by
10% in 2014, far above the European aver-
age of 3.2%, while the number of billion-
aires rose from 11 to 12 (see chart on p21).
It is likely that the tax-free environ-
ment and low entry hurdles for residency
in Monaco have become a greater draw
for those concerned by discussions of
increased taxes on wealth and assets.
Indeed, our Attitudes Survey (p10) high-
lights that one of the biggest concerns for
UHNWIs across the globe is a potential
increase in wealth taxes.
In terms of sheer numbers, the US
will still be the dominant force in terms
of its ultra-wealthy population in 2024,
with the data forecasting a 25% increase
in UHNWI numbers to almost 51,000,
the biggest concentration in any single
country (see chart on the right).
Wealth equality
But when looking at these wealthy
residents as a proportion of the country’s
total population, the US, with 12 UHNWIs
per 100,000, is outgunned by 19 countries
including New Zealand and the UK (see
chart on p21). Unsurprisingly, Monaco
tops the list with an equivalent rate of
574 per 100,000.
Bank, Africa’s largest bank, says: “Africa
has the highest potential for growth of any
region at the moment. Reforms in Nigeria
have been expedited, helping the country
build credibility among foreign investors.
It is an exciting time.”
When we look at the amalgamated
expectations for growth in UHNWIs, the
MINT countries, with average expected
uplift of 76% over the next decade, nar-
rowly defeat the BRIC countries (Brazil,
Russia, India and China), which have an
average forecast growth of 72%. How-
ever, they both far outstrip global average
MIDAS TOUCH Monaco’s
population of UHNWIs is
set to double by 2024
Number of UHNWIs per
100,000 people
Breakdown of Monaco wealth
tiers (2014)
Millionaires
UHNWIs
Centa-millionaires
Billionaires
11,924
217 22
12
Monaco
574
Luxembourg
113
Singapore
60
Switzerland
54
Norway
50
New Zealand
24
UK
17
Germany
14
Japan
13
US
13
Russia
0.9
Forecast top
FIVE UHNWI
populations
in 2024
Japan
China
Germany
UK
US
50,767
19,916
15,681
14,481
13,176
22Global wealth distribution
forecast growth (34%) and the average
increase expected across the G8 (28%)
over the next decade.
In China, policymakers are under
increasing pressure with questions over
economic growth mounting as well
as political tensions surfacing in Hong
Kong. However, Gabriel Sterne, Head of
Global Macro Investor Services at Oxford
Economics, says there is room for more
education and financial deepening in the
country. “We still see China as a success
story, and it should continue to catch up
in terms of productivity,” he says. Cer-
tainly by 2024 China is not only set to be
the largest economy in the world, but
will boast nearly 15,700 UHNWIs and
338 billionaires.
Meanwhile, elections in India and Bra-
zil have sparked opportunities for more
economic growth. India has seen a 166%
rise in UHNWIs over the past decade, and
with the new Indian government com-
manding a majority in the lower house
for the first time in three decades, there
is real opportunity to introduce far more
transparency. That in turn will boost for-
eign investment. WealthInsight forecasts
a 104% increase in India’s UHNWIs over
the next decade.
Last year’s election in Brazil, and the
ensuing interest rate rise by the country’s
central bank, flexing its independent
muscles, could start to shore up the
Brazillian economy. There is still much
work to be done, including offsetting the
falling prices for key Brazilian exports.
However, despite this, the growth of
Brazil’s UHNWI population over the next
decade is expected to outperform the
global average, at 50%.
Eurozone difficulties
The difficulties in the eurozone over the
last year, with Germany narrowly avoid-
ing another recession, are not over yet.
The economic grouping faces a potential-
ly painful re-balancing of the economy,
driving productivity as well as consump-
tion in the coming years. This is re-
flected in our data, with many eurozone
countries seeing a slightly lower level of
growth in ultra-wealthy populations than
the global average. However, the newest
entrants to the eurozone – Latvia, Lithua-
nia and Estonia – are set to outperform in
the next decade, albeit from a low base.
The UK, which had the fastest-growing
economy in the G8 last year, is set to see
100 billionaires by 2024, making it the
fifth-highest hub for billionaires in the
world behind the US, China, India and
Russia, each of whose overall population
significantly outnumbers that of the UK.
For more wealth distribution numbers
see Databank, p66.
olYMPian endeaVours uhnwi population growth in brazilian
cities like são Paulo is set to outperform the global average
Globalpyramidofwealth2014
billionaires
1,844
Centa-millionaires
38,280
uhnwis
172,850
Millionaires
17,808,831
total population
7,290,912,784*
*as of 15:48 GMt 27 January 2015
source: wealthinsight, worldometers.info
WEALTH TAXES:
THE GREAT DEBATE
the debate about income inequality (see
graphic below) and wealth taxes gained
traction during 2014, not least because
of the wide discussions around the ideas
of thomas Piketty, a French economist
who argues that there should be a global
wealth tax on the richest in order to redis-
tribute money to the poorest in society.the
well-respected oeCd has also highlighted
that inequality can curb economic growth,
arguing that using tax and transfers to
tackle inequality can be effective as long
as the policies are highly targeted, aimed
at not just the very poorest but the poorest
40% of the population, particularly focus-
ing on education.
Yet other economists point out it has
been proved that high marginal tax rates
can decrease productivity and inhibit
entrepreneurialism, as those who suc-
ceed are faced with the prospect of much
higher levies. dr Pippa Malmgren, founder
of drPM Group and former economic ad-
visor to us President George w. bush,
argues that instead of focusing on taxing
wealth brackets, there should be more
emphasis on creating more wealth for all.
in her book Signals, published earlier this
year, she argues that instead of increasing
tax levies, governments should be cutting
them, especially for entrepreneurs and
small businesses:“the argument seems to
have swung to distribution, when in fact it
should be about productivity.it is essential
that the policymakers focus on innovating
and growing their economies.”
Millionaires. UHNWIs. Centa-mil-
lionaires. Billionaires. Their lives and
lifestyles cause fascination worldwide, but
the changes happening below the apex of
the wealth pyramid, while less glamorous,
are just as important to anybody inter-
ested in the luxury sector.
Mass affluence, or the creation of
middle-class consumers with disposable
income to spend, is inextricably linked
with economic growth and development,
and wealth creation.
However, unlike the clearly delineated
strata of the super-wealthy discussed ear-
lier, there is no hard-and-fast definition
of middle class. Some researchers have
included those who earn close to or above
the country’s average wage, while others
have set specific income thresholds. For
example, influential economists Branko
Milanovic and Shlomo Yitzhaki declared
in 2000 that the global middle class were
those who earned between $4,000 and
$17,000 a year.
More recently, the idea of looking at
the purchase and use of cars as a measure
of disposable income and middle-class
status has gained currency.
Whatever the definition, there is no
doubt that the middle classes have been
expanding rapidly in emerging econo-
mies in recent years. By Milanovic and
Yitzhaki’s measure, there are more than
369 million middle-class people in G20
developing economies, such as China,
Brazil and India, and around one billion
in advanced economies.
Between 2000 and 2010, Africa’s
middle-class population grew from 29%
to 34% of the continent’s total popula-
tion, while the OECD says that by 2030
Asia will account for 66% of the world’s
middle-class population – 10 times larger
than that of the US and five times bigger
than Europe’s.
As well as indicating rising living
standards in a country, the middle classes
are also the engine of consumer spend-
ing, with enough disposable income to
purchase goods and services that can help
pump money back into domestic and
international economies.
The trend is particularly striking in
the emerging economies, where private
consumption is growing at around three
times the rate of advanced economies.
The developing world’s share of global
private consumption climbed from 18%
to nearly 30% between 2002 and 2012, ac-
cording to In Search of the Global Middle
Class, written by Uri Dadush and Shimelse
Ali. It is certainly no coincidence that the
wealth data prepared for this report shows
that some of the fastest rates of growth
in the number of millionaires will be in
Africa and Latin America over the next
decade, with an expected increase of 53%
and 46%, respectively.
Increased middle-class spending and
investment power in developing econo-
mies has a direct impact on the poten-
tial for the creation of entrepreneurial
UHNWIs who can benefit from the rising
appetite for everything from consumer
goods to financial services, technology
and health care.
This has been well proved by the
stratospheric success of Alibaba, which
provides sales services for websites and
has propelled its founder, Jack Ma, to the
top of China’s rich list. Alibaba’s success
has been the result of, in no small part,
increased consumer demand and access
to technology across China.
In Africa, Acacia Mall, a new high-end
shopping mall in Kampala, Uganda, is just
one example of how the middle classes are
shaping retail, with Western-style shop-
ping centres now providing good returns
for their HNWI backers. Judy Rugasira Ky-
anda, Managing Director at Knight Frank
Uganda, says: “The mall is surrounded by
areas populated by a strong middle class,
who benefit from the retail and services
provided in an upmarket setting.”
Inditex, the Spanish retailer whose
brands include Zara, Uterqüe and Mas-
simo Dutti, and which is majority owned
by its founder, the Spanish billionaire
Amancio Ortega, has been expanding
rapidly in China. It has been opening five
Zara stores a month to satisfy the demand
for its chic-yet-affordable fashion among
the middle class.
A growing and strengthening middle
class can often be accompanied by politi-
cal challenges, however, as the growth in
economic independence sparks greater
demand for better services – especially
education, political transparency and
freedom of expression. In the past two
years alone there have been protests in
countries including Brazil, Hong Kong,
Venezuela, Bulgaria, China and Turkey,
which have, to some extent, been associ-
ated with the increasingly vociferous
demands of the middle classes.
Yet the increasing demands of the
middle classes can also prove a great spur
to innovation, encouraging entrepreneurs
to start their own businesses to provide
for this emerging class with disposable
income, which in turn provides good jobs
to lift more people into the middle classes
– resulting in a form of virtuous circle.
This ability of the middle class to grow
itself is perhaps just as well, as amid a
cloudier outlook for the global economy,
the eyes of the world are turning to the
middle classes – and more importantly
their wallets and purses. Their spending
power will be a crucial lever to help boost
global demand.
the power of
mass affluence
Special focus on the importance of
middle-class wealth growth
GrÁinne Gilmore, Head of UK
residential researcH
23
PURCHASING POWER Middle-class
spending is driving wealth creation
tHE WEAltH REPORt 2015
2524 the wealth rePort 2015Global wealth distribution
technology
Identifying specific growth op-
portunities is made more dif-
ficult by the uncertain outlook,
and it is equally difficult to be
sure which assets will be low
risk in the future – traditional
havens cannot be guaranteed
to remain low risk, and this
includes blue-chip companies
and government debt. But in
this environment, excessive
caution can be misplaced,
and even wealth preservation
requires a degree of risk. Tak-
ing a 10-year view, advances
in technology should continue
to empower the spread of
education and prosperity, and
in turn fuel consumer demand.
Only a major conflict is likely
to stand in the way of this.
Instability is a risk to any
form of economic growth.
This is particularly true in
Africa. A major sustained
political upheaval or a similar
incident could detract from
the important projects being
implemented that should de-
liver growth. There are many
countries within Africa, all at
Africa is one of the few re-
gions remaining in the world
where there is huge potential
for growth. It has a growing
and young population that is
fuelling demand and push-
ing up economic activity and
wealth creation. The con-
tinent also boasts a strong
strand of entrepreneurialism,
which  has resulted in a clear
shift towards substantial
The Wealth Report asks
what the biggest risks and
opportunities for wealth
creation around the world are
JoHn Veale
Chief investment officer
at stonehage investment Partners,
a global multifamily office
deon de KlerK
head of international Private
Clients at standard bank,
the largest bank in africa
different stages of develop-
ment. The ideal is that each of
these countries stays on track
towards economic develop-
ment and growth. But if any
of them, especially one of the
major nations such as Nigeria,
Kenya, South Africa or Angola,
took a sudden change of direc-
tion, then that would pose a
risk to Africa’s growth story.
growth in HNWI numbers over
recent years. Given that Africa
currently accounts for 15% of
the world’s population, but de-
livers only 4% of global output,
it unquestionably offers great
opportunity over the medium
and longer term.
There will be growing oppor-
tunities in emerging-market
technology – that is, new,
more-sophisticated develop-
ments within the technology
we all use every day. Funding
platforms such as Kickstarter
are exciting, helping engender
more new ideas. We also
see real estate, mostly com-
mercial property, in the US
as an opportunity – there is a
reassurance that you can actu-
ally go kick your investment.
People should not overlook
the opportunities in developed
economies. For many years the
story has been about emerging
economies, based on their
manufacturing. But we have
moved some of our manu-
facturing back to the US and
Canada in recent years – there
is opportunity here.
cUrt ricHardson
uhnwi us tech entrepreneur and
founder of otterbox
technology
and real estate
africa’s young
population
risks opportunities
narrow
economic growth
dr sHUBHada rao
senior President and
Chief economist at Yes bank,
one of india’s largest private-
sector banks
The risk for wealth creation in
the Indian economy and many
other emerging economies
will arise if economic growth
over the coming years is not
spread across every sector of
the economy, from services
to energy. Such broad-based
growth results in a quicker
trickle-down effect than when
the economy is relying on just
a few strong pockets of output.
Every economy that trans-
forms itself from an emerging
to a developed economy has
seen some instances where
wealth inequality has growth,
but this seems to be most
acute where the economy is
leaning on just one or two
levers of growth.
pricing of
equities
cHris Williamson
Chief economist at Markit, a global
financial information
services provider
I see the biggest risk at present
being the disconnect between
the pricing of bonds and com-
modities on the one hand, and
equities on the other. While
bond and commodity prices
are pricing in weak global de-
mand, recent stock market ral-
lies seem to be factoring in the
expectation of future profits
based on rising demand. This
year will certainly be a year to
watch how the markets react
to the withdrawal of monetary
stimulus in the US, as there
is a strong argument that the
stock rally has been fuelled by
excess credit in developed and
emerging markets, fuelled by
quantitative easing.
Government
expansion
cUrt ricHardson
uhnwi us tech
entrepreneur and founder
of otterbox
One key risk, certainly in the
US but also elsewhere around
the world, is the continued ex-
pansion of government. There
has been exponential growth
in the size of the government
in the US over the past eight
to 12 years, and this has been
marked by more taxes and
regulation. These develop-
ments have an impact on the
dollars people have to invest.
When there is uncertainty
about whether a tax regime
will continue to change, or
about expanding regulation,
investment decisions change,
which in turn can have an
effect on economic as well as
investment outcomes. The
US’s approach to this is, in
effect, a global issue, as its
economic performance has
international ramifications.
property and
investments of
passion
cHris Williamson
Chief economist at Markit, a global
financial information
services provider
After a period such as the
financial crisis, with the great
correction that happened
in its wake, there are always
opportunities to find assets
that might still be under-
valued, whether property in
the US or Spain. Even seven
years after the crisis, there are
still opportunities available.
Alongside this, it is no sur-
prise to me that investments
of passion have performed so
well of late. If you can only get
a low rate of return, you might
as well invest in something
you enjoy. My vote is for clas-
sic motorcycles.
find the “missing
middle” of
manufacturing
dr sHUBHada rao
senior President and
Chief economist at Yes bank,
one of india’s largest
private- sector banks
The opportunities for wealth
creation, especially in India,
are potentially huge, if policy-
makers can boost manufactur-
ing, or, as I call it, the “missing
middle”. There are signs of a
stronger and more transparent
policy system under the new
Modi government, and, if suc-
cessful, this will attract more
overseas investment. India has
the ability and the know-how
to increase its global presence
in terms of manufacturing,
and it could benefit from the
global links created by over-
seas investment. If allowed
to flourish, a manufacturing
sector in India could provide
massive growth. Education is
also more widespread than in
other emerging economies.
Volatile
outlook
JoHn Veale
Chief investment officer at
stonehage investment
Partners, a global
multifamily office
Geopolitical events such as
the escalation of Russia’s ac-
tions in Ukraine could lead to
further loss of confidence and
potentially a deflationary trap,
particularly in Europe. At the
other extreme, if economic
growth is stronger than antici-
pated and central banks are
wrong-footed by wage pres-
sures on inflation, this could
lead to tightening of policy
and strong rises in yields. As
investment advisors we worry
more about these issues today,
as loose monetary policies
have helped push the valua-
tion of many asset markets to
levels that allow little room
for disappointment.
sustained
political upheaval
deon de KlerK
head of international Private
Clients at standard bank,
the largest bank in africa
27 the wealth report 201526Global cities
The cities that matter to
the world’s wealthy for
business and lifestyle
Global Cities
Survey
What makes a city important to the
wealthy, and what makes them want to
live there? Researchers attempt to solve
this conundrum by measuring and
ranking quality of life and a host of
other indicators.
Of course, if we measure a city’s
importance by political power, Washington
DC and Beijing will be at the top of the tree,
followed closely by Brussels, the power
base of the EU. If we assess quality of life,
a clutch of northern European, Canadian
and Australian cities, led by the likes of
Melbourne and Toronto, will dominate.
But, by and large, these cities do
not boast the highest concentrations of
UHNWI residents. You may need to lobby
in Washington or Brussels, but you are
less likely to want to live there.
Our focus, as highlighted so graphical-
ly on pp30-31, is to consider the number
of UHNWIs who actually choose to live
in each city.
To provide a more rounded picture
we have also assessed responses from
our Attitudes Survey, in which we asked
wealth advisors around the world to name
the cities where their clients spend time
for business and leisure.
“Follow the money” was the sage
advice from the Watergate mole, and
it holds true at the top of our rankings.
London and New York, the world’s
dominant financial centres, take the
first two positions in our latest rankings.
Although the total wealth held by
UHNWIs is now greater in Asia than in
North America, no single city can claim
to be the region’s economic hub and
really challenge the dominance of
London and New York.
Within the Asia-Pacific region, Hong
Kong is now the most important city
largely because of its close economic
affinity with China, although Singapore
has the biggest UHNWI population.
Some of the most interesting results
are not found at the top of city ranking
tables – new candidates rarely emerge –
and up-and-coming locations offer some
of the most interesting opportunities for
entrepreneurial UHNWIs or those looking
to join the ranks of the super-rich.
On p32 and p33 we highlight four
cities around the world that could
be worth a closer look.
01
London calling
The UK’s capital is now the
world’s most important city, but
that distinction could belong to
New York by 2025
02
Power shift
Despite not being able to grab
the top spots from London and
New York, the number of UHNWI
residents in Singapore and Hong
Kong is set to increase more
rapidly over the next 10 years.
Seven of the top 10 risers are
in Asia
03
Asian battle
Hong Kong overtakes Singapore
as the key city for UHNWIs in
Asia. It will retain this position
in 2025
2928 the wealth report 2015
Most important cities to UHNWIs in 2025
1
New York
2
London
3
Hong Kong
4
Singapore
5
Shanghai
6
Beijing
7
Miami
8
Dubai
9
Paris
10
Zurich
Global cities
Changing fortunes across our rankings
over the past 12 months have seen Hong
Kong and Singapore continue to slug it
out for pole position in Asia.
This year Hong Kong edges ahead,
moving from fourth to third position in
our global top 10. With Shanghai main-
taining its steady rise, Asia holds four
of the top 10 slots in our list. Although
Geneva loses ground this year, Zurich’s
strengthening helps maintain European
representation.
Focusing purely on the population of
wealthy residents, our data confirms that
London remains the single biggest centre
for global UHNWIs, followed by Tokyo,
Singapore and New York. Ten years hence
and the expectation is that London will
retain its top spot, but Singapore will have
closed the gap with a 54% growth in its
population of UHNWIs over that period.
With the exception of London,
European cities will see a relative
decline in their rankings based on the
size of their UHNWI populations over
the next decade, despite an average
27% growth in wealthy residents.
Europe’s relative, if not absolute,
decline is reflected in North America,
The world’s top
40 cities
The latest results from our Global Cities
Survey, which monitors the cities that
matter to the world’s wealthy
LIAM BAILEY, Global Head
of Research
Australasia and even the Middle East,
with one standout reason – the dramatic
growth of wealth in Asia. On average,
cities across that region will see a 91%
growth in their UHNWI populations over
the next decade.
The most rapid growth in wealth will
be seen in the likes of Ho Chi Minh City,
Jakarta, Mumbai and Delhi. One-fifth of
the cities assessed are expected to see
greater than 100% growth over the next
decade, all of which are in Asia or Africa.
Geographic concentration of wealth
remains a key facet with 10% of all
additional growth in UHNWIs taking
place in just five cities – Singapore,
Hong Kong, New York, London and
Mumbai – over the next decade.
When we focus on the broader measure
of dollar millionaires, or HNWIs, rather
than UHNWIs, we see some resilience in
the performance of cities in the developed
world. Tokyo contains the biggest single
cluster of HNWIs today. At 466,000 the
HNWI population is nearly a fifth larger
than the number two city, New York, with
a little under 400,000.
In 10 years we will see a reversal, with
New York expected to be home to the
biggest global total, with over 520,000
HNWIs, and Tokyo slipping to second
place with 508,000.
By this point Beijing will sit in third
position, with 350,000 dollar millionaires,
a rise of 55% over the decade. Despite the
US and Japan hanging on with the two
biggest city counts, growth even at this
wealth level will be dominated by Asian
centres, with six of the 10 biggest growth
cities in absolute terms being in Asia.
Collectively they are expected to add
600,000 new HNWIs to their populations
over the period to 2024. In Mumbai
alone forecast growth is a phenomenal
125,000 – a 128%.
Our Attitudes Survey points to the
cities that UHNWIs believe will yield the
best investment opportunities in 2015 –
led by New York, London, Berlin and
Los Angeles.
Looking to the future, one constant
remains: the rise of the Asian powerhouse
cities, the relative decline of the Euro-
pean centres and the tussle between the
two global behemoths – New York and
London, with New York expected to be the
most important city for global UHNWIs
in 2025.
Source: Knight Frank Global Cities Survey
Source: WealthInsight See pp30–31 for more city-level UHNWI population data
Source: Knight Frank Research
Top 40 most important
cities to UHNWIs in 2015
1 London
2 New York
3 Hong Kong
4 Singapore
5 Shanghai
6 Miami
7 Paris
8 Dubai
9 Beijing
10 Zurich
11 Tokyo
12 Toronto
13 Geneva
14 Sydney
15 Taipei
16 Frankfurt
17 Moscow
18 Madrid
19 San Fransisco
20 Vienna
21 Milan
22 Los Angeles
23 Jakarta
24 Munich
25 Amsterdam
26 Mumbai
27 Dublin
28 Johannesburg
29 Istanbul
30 Kuala Lumpur
31 São Paulo
32 Mexico City
33 Berlin
34 Washington DC
35 Boston
36 Cape Town
37 Auckland
38 Buenos Aires
39 Rio de Janeiro
40 Tel Aviv
How we measure the world
Our analysis confirms the most important global cities to the world’s wealthy.
Our measure includes an assessment of unique city-level UHNWI population
counts, provided by WealthInsight; in addition, our Attitudes Survey con-
tributes rankings covering the importance of cities for their business links,
economic activity and lifestyle offer. In short, these are the cities where the
wealthy congregate,work,invest,are educated and spend their leisure time.
Future forecasts for wealth populations and judgements of the changing
influence of cities from our Attitudes Survey underpin our forecast for the top
10 cities in 2025.
PRIME MOVER London is the world’s most important city for UHNWIs
ASIAN TIGER Singapore is set to gain the most UHNWIs
of any city over the next 10 years
Top three cities with the greatest growth in the number
of UHNWI residents (2014-2024)
1 2 3
Singapore Hong Kong New York
+1,752 +1,251 +1,013
3130 the wealth report 2015Global Cities
Where UHNWIs
really live
Our Global Cities Survey touched on the locations with the highest
concentration of UHNWI residents; here we take a wider graphical
look at city-level populations around the world in 2014.
Source: WealthInsight
3332 the wealth report 2015GLOBAL CITIES
The cities featured on this spread are not
those about to be listed among the world’s
top 10 or even top 20 most important
cities. Indeed, none of them yet boasts
any billionaire residents, according to
data from WealthInsight, but their HNWI
(millionaire) and UHNWI populations are
rising, and they are locations whose influ-
ence we believe is growing strongly at
a regional level. Even if they are unlikely
to be on the second-home list of most
UHNWIs, they should certainly be
on their radars in terms of the wealth
creation opportunities they will present.
Belgrade, Serbia
As with all our featured cities, rising
wealth is a key illustration of the growing
strength of Belgrade’s economic fortunes.
While seeing only a steady 12% rise in
the number of HNWI residents in the
years from 2007 to 2014, the expectation
is that this figure will jump markedly by
2024, with a forecast of 72% growth over
the decade.
Accounting for 40% of Serbia’s
economic activity, the city acts as south-
eastern Europe’s financial and business
centre and is witnessing rising levels of
foreign direct investment.
Inward investment has been aided by
tax incentives and grants and an increas-
ingly competitive tax environment, which
has attracted the likes of Fiat and Siemens
to invest in plants in the city.
Lifestyle improvements over the past
decade have been supercharged by a grow-
ing reputation as a tourist centre – Lonely
Planet describes Belgrade as “one of the
most happening cities in Europe” – luring
Cities of the future
The Wealth Report picks locations with
a potentially bright future
young visitors in particular, who are stay-
ing in increasing numbers, attracted by
low-cost and relatively high-quality office
accommodation to develop internet and
app start-ups, including leading online
gaming firms.
Panama City
The unique geography that has blessed
Panama with its canal has also aided
economic growth and wealth creation in
its capital, Panama City, by bridging the
divide between Latin and North America.
With a near doubling in the number of
HNWIs since 2007 to hit 4,700 in 2014
and nearly 7,000 by 2024, The Economist’s
decision to label the city “a Singapore
for Central America” seems increasingly
prescient. In a Central American context
Panama offers a high degree of economic
and regulatory stability. Investors are
attracted by the strongest economic
growth offered in the region and also a
very competitive tax environment – all
The
Economist’s
decision to label
Panama
“a Singapore
for Central
America” seems
increasingly
prescientof which have contributed to foreign direct
investment levels hitting 9% of GDP in
recent years.
Tourism and retirement developments
have added to the attractions of the city.
High-quality transport and health care
and a growing presence of global hotel
brands have drawn investment from
entrepreneurs looking to expand on
a strong food and lifestyle scene.
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Africa’s fastest-growing economy,
Ethiopia, benefits from not only the
political importance of Addis Ababa but
also the 3.8% annual growth rate of the
population within the capital. In addition
to natural growth, there is vast rural-
urban migration, which planners predict
combined could lead to the size of the
city surging by 2040 to over 8.1 million.
Wealth creation has seen a near
doubling of the population of HNWIs
since 2007 to a little over 1,300, with one
of the strongest forecast growth rates for
the coming decade – with an expected
expansion to 2,600 by 2024.
The city is understandably witness-
ing severe growing pains, with public
investment in transport including an
overhead rail network, and construction
dominating GDP growth. Relocation of
existing residents to accommodate new
infrastructure has caused severe stresses
on some sectors of the city’s population.
The Renaissance dam under construc-
tion on the Blue Nile is Africa’s largest
hydroelectric scheme and could provide
energy security – a vital component for
economic development.
With the presence of the African
Union headquarters, and the headquar-
ters of the United Nations Economic
Commission for Africa, as well as a
number of continental and international
organizations, the city is commonly
regarded as the political capital of Africa,
lending a strong diplomatic and political
edge to its growing economic strengths.
01 BELGRADE South-eastern
Europe’s financial centre
02 PANAMA CITY “A Singapore
for Central America”
03 ADDIS ABABA Africa’s
political capital
04 YANGON Annual tourist visits
to hit seven million by 2020
01
02
03
Yangon, Myanmar
With its number of HNWI residents set
to more than double over the coming
decade, hitting in excess of 3,500 US
dollar millionaires by 2024, Myanmar’s
former capital and largest city, Yangon,
is a classic example of emerging market
wealth creation.
Benefiting from the gradual opening up
of its economy, following the introduction
of democratic reforms in recent years, the
city has seen strong employment growth
and inward investment, with annual GDP
growth at a national level predicted to
eclipse that seen in India and even China
in 2015 and 2016. Accounting for a fifth of
overall economic output, Yangon is set
to be the lead beneficiary of this process.
Controls over non-resident property
ownership have slowed private interna-
tional investments, but private equity
investment in business, especially those in
the construction and development sectors,
have been one method for non-residents
to gain exposure to rising property values.
Restaurant, hotel and retail offer has
been improving steadily over the past
five years, and new entrants are arriving
rapidly – with tourism visits forecast to
grow from three million in 2015 to over
seven million in 2020. A grand tour
of Myanmar is now on the hotlist for
wealthy tourists.
04
theperformanceofthe
world’smostimportant
primeresidentialmarkets
Virtually everybody likes to talk about
house prices, particularly the value of
their own home. But for ultra-wealthy
individuals who may own houses around
the world, keeping track of their portfo-
lio’s worth is not that simple.
However, Knight Frank’s newly en-
larged Prime International Residential
Index (PIRI) now includes performance
data for 100 of the world’s key luxury city
and second-home markets, and is recog-
nised as the sector’s most comprehensive
performance benchmark.
So what does the PIRI 100 tell us about
prime market performance in 2014 –
which UHNWI property owners will be
rubbing their palms, and who will be less
cheerful? Well, the picture is certainly
mixed around the world.
Those lucky enough to have property
in the US are unlikely to have any com-
plaints, as domestic and international
demand fuelled price growth. European
destinations fared less well, with values
dropping on average by 0.4% across the
continent. Overall, city markets around
the world outperformed second-home
sun and ski destinations.
Of course, the analysis over the follow-
ing pages is about more than just what
happened last year. While past perfor-
mance is interesting, what the astute
property owner will be more concerned
about is future trends.
Although isolated issues such as the
Swiss government’s surprise decision
to unpeg its currency from the euro in
January – house prices in effect became
20% more expensive overnight for foreign
buyers – will clearly impact markets, we
see two main opposing trends at play at
the macro level. How they play out will
have a profound impact on prime property
markets. On one hand, the growing
globalisation of wealth means there are
more UHNWIs from more countries
looking for luxury homes in an increas-
ingly diverse number of international
destinations; on the other, there is
burgeoning government scrutiny of
wealth and levels of protectionism.
The globalisation theme is highlighted
by the rising number of UHNWIs who
are looking to shift their domicile;
with the help of immigration specialist
Fragomen we explore this trend in more
detail on page 42. The growing usage of
private jets for business and personal
purposes is another reflection of rising
wealth mobility. Using exclusive data
from NetJets we highlight the most
popular and fastest-growing routes for
the ultra-rich traveller.
And finally, Massimo Ferragamo, of
the Italian fashion house Ferragamo,
shares some of his own perspectives on
luxury property ownership.
the
PIrI 100
01
Big apple bounce
New York saw the biggest
growth in prime residential
prices in 2014 (+18.8%). Three
other US locations were in the
top 10 of PIRI
03
london calling
The UK saw the largest influx
of HNWI passport seekers (over
114,000) over the past 10 years,
according to immigration
specialist Fragomen
02
Mixed fortunes
While 16 of the locations in our
PIRI 100 saw double-digit prime
property price growth last year,
the value of luxury homes fell or
remained static in almost 40%
of them
PIRI (PRIME INTERNATIONAL RESIDENTIAL INDEx) THE WEALTH REPORT 20153534
The value of luxury residential property
around the world rose by just over 2%
on average in 2014, based on the perfor-
mance of the 100 locations covered by our
PIRI rankings. With reversals in markets
as far apart as Asia, the Middle East and
Europe, growth was lower than the 2.8%
seen in 2013.
The US dominates the top of our table,
taking four out of the top 10 positions,
with New York (+18.8%) and Aspen (+16%)
in first and second place respectively.
The disparity with Europe’s cities is stark.
Luxury prices rose by almost 13% on aver-
age across US cities last year, compared
with an average of only 2.5% in Europe.
Bali, the leading Asian second-home
market, and the emerging Middle Eastern
urban powerhouse of Istanbul were stand-
out performers, with luxury prices up by
15% year on year in both markets.
Our previous front runner, Jakarta,
which led the rankings in 2012 and 2013,
slipped to 12th place this year, an indica-
tion of the luxury market slowdown evi-
dent across many Asian cities last year.
Some previously strong markets such
as Dubai (17% growth in 2013) saw prices
slow markedly (0.3% in 2014). This is in
part because of the mortgage cap of the
Central Bank of the UAE, which is stricter
for those purchasing properties above five
million dirham.
The dampening impact of this kind of
prudent macro policy also explains the
ongoing weak growth in Hong Kong and
Singapore. Government policy has been
deliberately aimed at limiting price rises
through higher taxation and mortgage
market intervention.
Mainland China mirrored this trend
with prime price growth in Shanghai (0%),
Beijing (-0.5%) and Guangzhou (0.6%)
proving lacklustre at best.
Government
policy has been
deliberately
aimed at
limiting price
rises through
higher taxation
and mortgage
market
intervention
Buenos Aires proved our weakest per-
former, but with GDP growth in negative
territory in 2014, the city’s housing market
tribulations are less than surprising.
While the threat of Mayor de Blasio’s
so-called pied-à-terre tax doesn’t appear
to have dampened growth in New York,
recent hikes in stamp duty (a purchase
tax) have curtailed the rate of price growth
for properties worth over £2m in London,
holding overall prime price growth at
5.1% for the year. The latest changes to UK
Stamp Duty mean higher costs for those
purchasing a property priced at £937,500
or above, this may cap growth above this
threshold in the near term.
Despite the more muted performance
of the PIRI 100 this year, luxury housing
markets continue to outperform their
mainstream counterparts. The average
price of a luxury home in our index is 38%
higher than it was at the index’s lowest
point in the second quarter of 2009; the av-
erage price of mainstream global property
has risen by just 14% over the same period.
21 Melbourne Australasia 8.5%
22 Tokyo Asia 8.1%
23= Verbier Europe 8.0%
23= Munich Europe 8.0%
25= Vancouver North America 7.5%
25= Frankfurt Europe 7.5%
27 São Paulo Latin America 7.3%
28 Toronto North America 7.1%
29 Riyadh Middle East 6.0%
30= Seoul Asia 5.3%
30= Doha Middle East 5.3%
32= Madrid Europe 5.1%
32= London Europe 5.1%
32= Bangkok Asia 5.1%
35= Mustique Caribbean 5.0%
35= Ibiza Europe 5.0%
37 Edinburgh Europe 4.2%
38 Courchevel 1550 Europe 3.2%
39= Venice Europe 3.0%
39= Jumby Bay (Antigua) Caribbean 3.0%
39= Barcelona Europe 3.0%
39= Val d’Isère Europe 3.0%
43 Mumbai Asia 2.9%
44= Cayman Islands Caribbean 2.5%
44= Marrakesh Africa 2.5%
44= Gstaad Europe 2.5%
47= Bahamas Caribbean 2.0%
47= Morzine Europe 2.0%
47= Sotogrande Europe 2.0%
47= Chamonix Europe 2.0%
47= Western Algarve Europe 2.0%
47= Cyprus Europe 2.0%
53 Delhi Asia 1.8%
54 Rome Europe 1.5%
55 Nairobi Africa 1.4%
56 Hong Kong Asia 1.1%
57 Phuket Asia 0.7%
58 Guangzhou Asia 0.6%
59 Kuala Lumpur Asia 0.5%
60 Dubai Middle East 0.3%
61= St Barts Caribbean 0.0%
61= Shanghai Asia 0.0%
63= Central Algarve Europe -0.5%
63= Beijing Asia -0.5%
65 Taipei Asia -1.2%
66 Méribel Europe -1.5%
67= Megève Europe -2.0%
67= Italian Riviera Europe -2.0%
67= Monaco Europe -2.0%
67= Florence Europe -2.0%
67= Geneva Europe -2.0%
67= St Moritz Europe -2.0%
67= Cap Ferrat Europe -2.0%
74= Evian Europe -3.0%
74= Marbella Europe -3.0%
74= Mallorca Europe -3.0%
74= Barbados Caribbean -3.0%
74= Provence Europe -3.0%
74= Lake Como Europe -3.0%
74= Vienna Europe -3.0%
74= Brussels Europe -3.0%
74= Davos Europe -3.0%
83 Paris Europe -3.5%
84 Moscow Russia/CIS -3.7%
85= Cannes Europe -4.0%
85= Tuscany Europe -4.0%
87= St-Tropez Europe -5.0%
87= Lausanne Europe -5.0%
87= Villars-sur-Ollon Europe -5.0%
90 Courchevel 1850 Europe -5.4%
91 Dordogne Europe -6.0%
92= British Virgin Islands Caribbean -7.0%
92= Umbria Europe -7.0%
94= Sardinia Europe -8.0%
94= Zurich Europe -8.0%
96 Cortina Europe -10.0%
97 Milan Europe -12.0%
98 Singapore Asia -12.4%
99= Crans-Montana Europe -15.0%
99= Buenos Aires Latin America -15.0%
The PIRI 100
The latest results of our Prime International Residential Index, which marks the change in price of prime
residential property in 100 cities and second-home locations (annual percent growth to 31 December 2014*)
*All price changes relate to local currency and reflect nominal change.
Data for Moscow, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Miami and Riyadh relates to
the period from Q3 2013 to Q3 2014. Data for Tel Aviv relates to the period
from Nov 2013 to Nov 2014. Tokyo relates to properties above JPY 100m.
US shines as global
growth falls
Analysis of the latest trends to emerge
from Knight Frank’s unique Prime
International Residential Index (PIRI)
Kate Everett-Allen, Head of
International Residential Research
Rank Location World Region Annual % change
1 New York North America 18.8%
2 Aspen North America 16.0%
3= Bali Asia 15.0%
3= Istanbul Middle East 15.0%
5 Abu Dhabi Middle East 14.7%
6 San Francisco North America 14.3%
7 Dublin Europe 13.4%
8= Cape Town Africa 13.2%
8= Muscat Middle East 13.2%
10 Los Angeles North America 13.0%
11 Auckland Australasia 12.1%
12 Jakarta Asia 11.2%
13 Sydney Australasia 11.0%
14 Tel Aviv Middle East 10.3%
15 Bengaluru Asia 10.1%
16 Amsterdam Europe 10.0%
17 Miami North America 9.8%
18 Berlin Europe 9.0%
19= Washington DC North America 8.7%
19= Johannesburg Africa 8.7%
Top20
Sources: All data from Knight Frank’s global network with the exception of:
Aspen – Andrew Ernemann of Sotheby’s International Realty; Washington DC
– Metropolitan Regional Information Systems, Inc. Statistics generated on
06/01/2015, ©Copyright 2015. All rights reserved. Information deemed reliable
but not guaranteed;Tokyo – Ken Corporation; São Paulo – FIPE (Fundação
Instituto de Pesquisas Econômicas); Los Angeles and San Francisco – First
Republic Bank;Vancouver – Dexter Associates Realty
Rising high Prime property values in New York are soaring
Annual price change by world region, to 31 December 2014
North America
11.9%
Latin America
-3.9%
Europe
-0.4%
Africa
6.5%
Middle East
9.3%
Caribbean
0.4%
Russia/CIS
-3.7%
Asia
3.0%
Australasia
10.5%
PIRI (Prime international residential index) the wealth report 20153736
Since Knight Frank published the first
edition of The Wealth Report in 2007, a
relatively simple narrative – undented by
even the global financial crisis – has domi-
nated our analysis of global luxury resi-
dential markets. Growing wealth creation
has led to an increasing number of buyers,
from an ever-widening list of countries,
purchasing property in a growing number
of global hubs.
With the arrival in 2014 of significant
volumes of wealthy Chinese investors in
markets around the world, it seems an
odd time to question the sustainability of
this trend. There is, however, a risk in as-
suming that the globalisation of demand
is a one-way bet, as signs of protectionism
are growing.
Immigration, a classic driver for
international property investment by
UHNWIs, and a subject we look at in detail
on p42, is an arena where we are seeing
rising counter-trends.
In 2014 Russia, for example, imposed
reporting requirements on nationals seek-
ing permanent residence or citizenship
in other countries, backed by criminal
sanctions. Some recipient countries have
tightened access to residency, notably
Switzerland, which has seen a range of
restrictions on UHNWI immigration over
recent years.
We have commented in previous edi-
tions of The Wealth Report on the adop-
tion of new taxes or restrictions aimed
specifically at non-resident purchasers,
most notably in Singapore and Hong
Kong. Other countries are copying
this model.
The UK will see the withdrawal of the
capital gains tax exemption for non-
residents in April this year, with the
introduction of higher annual charges
for residential property held in corporate
structures, traditionally favoured by
wealthy overseas buyers.
In cities like New York and Paris new
property taxes have been considered.
Despite these protectionist reactions,
the overall direction of travel favours
more, not less, international demand for
prime residential property.
There are a wide range of factors
underpinning additional globalisation.
Short-term geopolitical and fiscal factors
still dominate, the flight of capital from
southern Europe during the eurozone
crisis in 2010 and 2011 is just one example.
potential for demand growth from main-
land China, but massive private wealth
has not yet diversified globally; rather its
migration has been hampered by foreign-
exchange controls.
There has been a general acceptance
that over time, restrictions on pension
investments and even direct investments
for Chinese citizens will be relaxed, and
more money will be invested overseas.
We might want to question this
assumption for a moment. Since the
financial crisis the list of countries that
have imposed tougher controls on the free
flow of capital, even if only temporarily,
has grown longer – India, Ghana, Cyprus,
Ukraine, with more to come. There has
been a shift away from the assumed direc-
tion of travel – of more-liberal trading
conditions.
Even if China does liberalise, the huge
potential for Chinese investment flows to
influence asset prices globally highlights
the tension between our globalisation and
protectionism themes.
Rising demand from emerging-world
wealth has the potential to lead to a
stronger political and regulatory backlash
in the main global investment hubs – if
asset prices and affordability issues rise
strongly as a result.
But long-term trends, such as the growing
appetite for international education, and
the pull of stable political, economic and
regulatory safe havens, are responsible for
the most durable ongoing demand sources.
The strength of London’s education
offer has long underpinned demand for
the city’s property. A decade ago Russian,
Middle Eastern or European children mov-
ing into London schools would be starting
at age 13. Rising competition for places at
13 means a starting age of seven or eight is
increasingly the norm.
London is not the sole education target.
There is a growing desire for UHNWIs
to craft a global education experience –
school in the UK or Australia, university
in the US, postgraduate study or MBA in
Europe – creating global citizens in terms
of language, location and education. And
at every stage there will almost inevitably
be a property requirement.
Rising
demand from
emerging-world
wealth has
the potential
to lead to a
stronger
political and
regulatory
backlash
in the main
global
investment
hubs
Although rules surrounding the im-
migration process are tightening in some
locations, the general trend is for more
countries, especially indebted European
ones, to try to attract new wealthy resi-
dents. Although it can be a challenge for
countries to create high-value immigration
schemes and meet tough compliance
safeguards, more will undoubtedly try.
Perhaps the biggest trend that would
contribute to our globalisation narrative
winning out against protectionism is the
lifting of capital controls in wealth-export-
ing countries. Effective demand for luxury
international property would be far higher
than it currently is if it weren’t for red
tape and bureaucratic limitations such as
foreign exchange controls, as experienced
in India and China, for example.
China is the most instructive, but
not unique, example to consider. The
simple fact is that there is extraordinary
Opposing forces
The tension between protectionism
and globalisation in residential
markets is impacting market performance
LIAM BAILEY, Global Head
of Research
Source: See main PIRI table on page 37. *Based on apartments only
PIRI price change by property
type in 2014
-0.9% -0.5%
4.5%
Second home – ski
Second home – sun
City
There are, however, two potential
future approaches to release this tension.
Firstly there is a politically restrictive
approach, with more taxation and regula-
tions aimed at non-resident investors. By
asking for notification of second passports,
Russia has confirmed how restrictions can
easily come from the wealth-exporting
nations. China could introduce a wealth
tax on outbound capital flows or even a
worldwide tax regime.
Alternatively, it is just as likely that
China will enter into greater cooperation
on information exchange – regarding
taxation and by which China, and others,
will ultimately join in the wider policing of
global wealth. This shift towards increased
global cooperation over taxation and
transparency, and the sharing of investor
details, would see a greater alignment of
costs and benefits between wealth-expor-
ting countries and the investment destina-
tion countries – which could ultimately
support long-term growth in investment.
The square metres of luxury property US$1m will buy
Monaco
Hong Kong*
London
New York
Singapore
Geneva
Sydney*
Shanghai
Paris
Beijing
Rome
Moscow
Istanbul
Tokyo
Mumbai
São Paulo
Dubai
Cape Town
Miami
Los Angeles
17
20
21
34
39
39
41
48
50
57
59
61
68
79
84
86
96
142
145
204
Five global prime
residential hotspots
London
St John Street, Clerkenwell. This area has
led the loft-living trend for over 30 years.
We see the demand for loft accommodation
increasing. Scarcity will drive pricing, as
will Crossrail, with the nearby Farringdon
station providing access to this key invest-
ment location. The Tech City association
will also drive the continued growth of
high-quality shopping and restaurants.
Typical 700 sq ft apartment – US$1.3m
New York
West Street in Manhattan is one to watch.
The street will form the new residential
entrance to Brookfield Place, adjacent to
the new World Trade Center complex, and
will be lined with world-class restaurants
and luxury retail brands. West Street is a
leader for the whole downtown market,
which is set for a boost over the next few
years; value growth here should outpace
the rest of New York by some margin.
Typical 1,500 sq ft apartment –US$2.7m
Cape Town
Main Road, Green Point, Cape Town. The
local area was initially boosted by the
legacy of the World Cup, and huge invest-
ment was put into upgrading local infra-
structure, such as developing parks, roads
and a transport system. On the back of this,
restaurateurs such as Manos and Beluga
have improved the local lifestyle offer. Add
in world-class sports facilities, access to
the waterfront, the city centre and views
of Table Mountain and this is the street to
watch in 2015.
Typical 700 sq ft apartment – US$200,000
Dubai
Business Bay, Dubai. Work has started
on building a channel connecting the sea
to the existing lake that lies in front of
the Burj Khalifa.This will allow access
for superyachts and sailing boats to the
bay. Construction of large towers lining
the channel is under way, providing
residences with the unique benefit of
mooring facilities in this central location.
Typical 1,500 sq ft apartment – US$680,000
Hong Kong
Our tip for Hong Kong is the Sai Ying Pun
neighbourhood.It is within close walking
distance to central Hong Kong but retains
local charm.The area is near galleries,good
shops and excellent local restaurants.While
more residential buildings have started to be
developed in the area,there are still many
opportunities for redevelopment.
Typical 700 sq ft apartment – US$1.9m
PIRI (Prime international residential index) the wealth report 20153938
With its density of wealth and internal
economic linkages, the US remains the
world’s most important private jet market
by some distance, according to private avi-
ation provider NetJets. This dominance
is borne out when we consider the globe’s
busiest private jet routes, where 60% of the
traffic starts and ends in the US.
NetJets confirms that Europe is the
second-largest market, at around 25% of
the US. Russia continues to represent a
significant portion of overall European
demand. Moscow is among the top 10
routes with highest hours flown, as re-
corded by NetJets, reflecting the ongoing
importance of Russian wealth in luxury
property markets in Europe and the US.
London’s standout performance in
Europe as an investment destination is
confirmed by the fact that 30% of the most
frequented routes in this region either
start or finish in the UK’s capital city.
NetJets reports that the synergy
between New York and London is greater
than ever, with traffic on this major route
increasing every year.
While Dubai and the broader UAE are
seeing increasing traffic, the Middle East’s
position as the world’s third-largest market
is being challenged by the rise of traffic
in China and Brazil. Traffic from Brazil
to Europe has grown 20% each year since
2010, with the main destinations inclu-
ding France, Spain, Portugal and the UK –
reflected by luxury property investment
purchases by Brazilian buyers during 2014.
Africa is a more fragmented market,
although Nigeria has become a major
private jet hub – with flights to and from
Lagos making it into our list of the top 10
fastest-growing global routes.
Anticipating wealth flows from one
part of the world to another has become
an industry in itself. The insight of
FASTEST-
GROWING
ROUTE
Nice/Côte d’Azur
New York
FlY aWaY
Using exclusive NetJets data, The Wealth Report
looks at the most popular private jet routes and
assesses their impact on wealth migration and
property investment destinations
WHo Is flYInG?
Over 80% of private jet passengers are
male. The typical age for flyers is 40-55.
Private entrepreneurs dominate in terms
of profession. Source of wealth tends
to be from finance and the oil and gas
sectors. NetJets reports that flyers from
the property industry have returned in
the past 12 months, joined by owners of
technology companies.
NetJets shines some light on the latest
trends. There is a clear synergy between
established market routes and investment
flows – with London and New York dis-
playing one of the closest prime property
relationships as well as flight paths.
The most insightful data comes when
we look at emerging-market demand.
Latin American investment in Europe,
for example, has long been overshadowed
by the huge waves of investment flow-
ing into Miami and other US hotspots.
The breadth of routes flown into key EU
markets from Brazil, but also Argentina
and other key southern American hubs,
reveals a closer relationship between
these markets than is often recognised.
The huge potential for demand for
property in Europe, and also in North
America, from investors based in Asia,
Africa, the Middle East and Latin America
is hinted at by the new growth routes
highlighted by the NetJets data.
This page:
HIGH FLIERS
Private jet usage
by UHNWIs is
increasing
Opposite page:
SO NICE The Côte
d’Azur is one of
the most popular
desitinations
for private jet
charters
Source: NetJets/Eurocontrol/SAS
Maiquetía
Dubai
Pittsburgh
Houston
Moscow
Houston
Lagos
Austin
Houston
Nice/Côte d’Azur
Miami
New York*
Midland (Texas)
London
Houston
Washington DC
Tel Aviv
New York*
West Palm Beach
London
*Teterboro, New Jersey
Miami
New York*
New York*
London
London
London
Chicago
Houston
West Palm Beach
Moscow
New York*
Nice/Côte d’Azur
Nice/Côte d’Azur
New York*
New York*
New York**
Moscow
West Palm Beach
New York*
Los Angeles***
*Teterboro, New Jersey
**Westchester/White Plains, New York
***Van Nuys
Private jet traffic:
top 10 routes (2013)
Private jet traffic:
top 10 fastest-growing routes (2013)
DePartUre BOarD
cHIna PoTenTIal
China’s current absence from our top
10 relates to the embryonic nature of
its private jet market.However,growth
potential in the near term is significant
– jet manufacturer Bombardier fore-
casts that the Greater China private jet
fleet is likely to grow from 330 to 1,275
aircraft by 2023.
NetJets, the first international op-
erator to have secured a Chinese air
operating certificate to operate in
mainland China, believes that intra-
China flights are likely to concentrate
initially on three major metropolitan
areas:Beijing,ShanghaiandHongKong.
snoWBelT and sUnBelT
desTInaTIons
In a relatively flat market both Olbia in
Sardinia (+14%) and Ibiza (+17%) have
seen very strong annual increases in
trafficoverthepast12months,confirm-
ingtheirgrowingimportanceassummer
holiday and second-home hubs. Nice
remains a major destination, likewise
the airport of St-Tropez, where flying
into La Môle is now possible.
Growth in traffic to Alpine airports,such
asSionandChambéry,pointstoarevival
indemandforpropertyinnearbyresorts
like Verbier, St Moritz and Courchevel.
Private jet traffic to destinations
like the Maldives, the Caribbean
and the Seychelles confirms the
growing strength of property in long-
distance resorts.
PIRI (PRIME INTERNATIONAL RESIDENTIAL INDEx) THE WEALTH REPORT 20154140
Anyone watching London’s stellar
residential market performance will be
unsurprised to hear that the UK has been
a top recipient of mobile HNWIs over the
past decade.
According to Nadine Goldfoot, a part-
ner at Fragomen, over 60% of these have
been from Europe, but with substantial
numbers also coming from China, Russia,
India, the Middle East (especially Saudi
Arabia, Syria and Turkey) and Africa (led
by South Africa, Nigeria and Egypt). More
recently, 309 of the 703 applications in the
first nine months of 2014 for the UK’s Tier
1 investor visa were from China, with 162
coming from Russia.
Singapore has seen strong migration of
HNWIs from China, India and Indonesia.
Flows into the US predominantly come
from the UK, India and Russia, although
Fragomen’s worldwide client practice notes
that the US EB-5 programme saw record
applicant numbers from China in 2014.
Demand for entry to Australia has been
boosted by strong inflows from across
the Asia-Pacific region (India, China,
Indonesia), as well as the UK, Europe
and South Africa. As of January 2015
the Hong Kong CIES programme, which
was especially popular with HNWIs from
China, has been suspended, leaving
clients from the region in need of sus-
tainable alternatives.
Restrictions on confidentiality rules in
Switzerland have removed some options
for the mobile wealthy, and Fragomen
notes a number of HNWIs who had been
domiciled in Switzerland for tax
purposes have relocated to Singapore,
the UK or the UAE.
There has been growing specula-
tion over the success of the more recent
entrants to the investor immigration
market – most of them in Europe.
Fragomen has noticed a sizeable uptake
in programmes linked to property
purchases in Europe – across Spain,
Portugal and Latvia.
Malta’s Individual Investor Progr-
a-mme introduced in February 2014 had
Demand will increasingly be driven by
international developers
The world’s largest residential developers,
led by players from China, India, Hong
Kong and Malaysia, continue to diver-
sify into new markets. Where Greenland
Group, Swire, China Vanke Co and Lodha
Group lead, they are followed by private
compatriot investors looking to dip their
toe into international investment – with
the reassurance of buying from a familiar
brand. Watch for Hong Kong buyers in Mi-
ami, and Chinese buyers on the Australian
Gold Coast and the US West Coast – and
just about every nationality in London
and New York.
Some buyers will find the market less
welcoming
Pressure from any number of bodies – the
EU, the US and the OECD included – on
low tax jurisdictions to comply with trans-
parency rulings is acting in concert with
ever-tighter regulations aimed at reducing
the risk of money laundering. Similarly,
while EU and US restrictions on Russia
over the Ukraine crisis may have been
tightly drawn in terms of named individu-
als with whom to avoid doing business, the
somewhat vague wording in the regula-
tions has caused professional advisors to
become increasingly risk-averse in terms
of whom they work with. Banks in par-
ticular will simply not risk falling short of
regulatory standards. There are a small but
growing number of potential buyers who
will find it increasingly difficult to access
foreign property markets.
Government stimulus will be with us
for longer
That ultra-low interest rates and govern-
ment stimulus measures have aided de-
mand for residential property, as with just
about every other tangible asset, is a given.
A year ago the assumption was that it was
only a matter of time before interest rates
would begin to rise across the developed
world. A year on and the continued fragi-
lity of the eurozone recovery and broader
concerns over the global economy have
meant that policy tightening has been
pushed further into 2015 and even into
2016. It appears that the support for global
demand and the ability of purchasers to
push prices higher will be with us for some
while yet.
Technology will reinforce the globali-
sation of demand
In last year’s edition of The Wealth Report
we discussed the potential impact of sub-
orbital travel on property demand over
the next 10 to 20 years. More immediate
support for global demand is likely to
come from improvements to traditional
jet technology. Several companies such as
Aerion, Spike Aerospace, Lockheed Mar-
tin and Boeing are working to reintroduce
a more affordable and sustainable
supersonic replacement for Concorde.
UK
Singapore
US
Australia
Hong Kong
Canada
UAE
HNWIs 2013Country HNWIs gained from 2003 to 2013 (as a percentage of total HNWI population)
114,100 (14%)
(20%)
(1%)
(14%)
(12%)
(5%)
(21%)
45,000
815,000
225,000
158,300
164,500
272,900
48,300
4,034,000 42,400
22,200
19,700
13,600
10,100
Countries with the biggest inflows of HNWIs (past 10 years)
China
India
France
Italy
Russia
Switzerland
Indonesia
HNWIs 2013Country HNWIs lost from 2003 to 2013 (as a percentage of total HNWI population)
76,200 (15%)
(27%)43,400
507,800
160,600
124,000
82,300
265,800
37,000
244,100 (13%)31,700
(15%)18,600
(17%)14,000
(4%)10,600
(27%)10,000
Countries with the biggest outflows of HNWIs (past 10 years)
received over 200 applications by August
2014, with applicants from 30 countries,
but mostly from Russia.
Official figures show over 1,936 visas
were issued in the first 12 months of
Portugal’s Golden Visa programme. Here
the vast majority of applicants have been
from China, representing close to 80% of
total demand.
The biggest story in terms of wealth-ex-
porting nations is undoubtedly China. It is
estimated that 76,200 Chinese millionaires
emigrated or acquired alternative citizen-
ship over the 10 years to 2013. They are a
significant force in Europe and dominate
Asia-Pacific schemes – with around 90% of
applicants for Australia’s Significant Inves-
tor visa coming from China.
India’s wealthy migrants tend to favour
the UK, the US and Australia. French and
Italian HNWIs prefer the UK and Swit-
zerland. Some 73,000 Russians received
foreign passports in 2013/14, the majority
of the HNWIs among them focusing on
the UK and the US.
Reducing the London to New York travel
time from seven hours to three and a half
is the first ambitious objective.
New buyers will help boost demand
in established and emerging prime
markets
Mexico, Indonesia, Nigeria and Turkey
will be among the biggest suppliers of
UHNWIs hungry to buy luxury inter-
national property. Although Mexican
nationals tend to move into the US, they
are positive about European opportuni-
ties, with some notable investments made
in Spain and Germany in 2014. Turkey is a
growth market, although because of ongo-
ing problems around banking licences
and restrictions on capital flows, real
demand has been held below potential
levels. Indonesian buyers will become
a much more serious force in Australia
and the wider Asia-Pacific region in 2015.
While Nigerian buyers will still form a
strong sector of the market in key cities
like London and New York, they will
increase their activity closer to home in
South Africa and Mauritius.
Passports, please
HNWI migration is a major influence on the global
luxury property market. Using research provided by
global immigration specialist Fragomen, we examine
the directions of travel
Future prime
property trends
The main factors that are likely to drive
prime residential markets over the short
and long term
LIAM BAILEY, Global Head
of Research
Source: Fragomen using data from New World Wealth survey
Gold Standard Australia’s east coast is attracting a new wave of Asian residential investors
PIRI (Prime international residential index) the wealth report 20154342
He asks me if I’ve ever been to the Val
d’Orcia, a UNESCO world heritage site,
largely unchanged since the 15th century.
I’ve not, so I mention another area in Tus-
cany that I have visited and considered
very beautiful. “It is nice there,” he replies
politely, “but it’s not the same. Del Bosco
is somewhere very special. All you can see
is green, green and green, and nothing to
ruin the view of the landscape.”
Originally, the plan was to turn the
estate into a very exclusive private mem-
bers’ club. However, in the wake of the
financial crisis, Mr Ferragamo changed
his model. The estate is still very exclu-
sive, but visitors can now stay in the hotel
and villas and join Italy’s only private golf
club, which is located on the property. A
number of the estate’s villas have also
been sold to an international range of
buyers. “We renovate the villas for the
owners, and when the owners are not in
residence, we manage all aspects of
the property.”
The process of rejuvenating the estate,
which dates back to the 10th century, has
clearly been a labour of love. “You cannot
own a property like this without it having
a purpose. You have to create a synergy
for all its elements – the land, the build-
ings, the vineyards – to bring it back to
life again.”
After we’ve talked and just as The
Wealth Report is about to go to press, Mr
Ferragamo gets in touch to let me know
that Rosewood Hotels and Resorts, after
careful consideration, has been appointed
to manage the estate’s hotel and villas.
Massimo Ferragamo’s life seems to divide
neatly in two. Not only does he split his
time between Italy and the US – “I was
sent there to work for the Ferragamo busi-
ness when I was 25”– but in each country
he likes to move between homes in the
city and the countryside.
In Italy he owns a house in Florence –
“the most beautiful city in world, where
I was born” – as well as Castiglion del
Bosco, a 5,000-acre estate in the Val
d’Orcia region of Tuscany. Stateside he
has an apartment in Manhattan and a
“They immediately recognised and
respected that Castiglion del Bosco is
deeply rooted in the Tuscan way of life.”
As well as his cherished Tuscan estate,
Mr Ferragamo is also involved with his
family’s wider property portfolio, which
includes five boutique luxury hotels in
Florence and Rome – “They are doing
very well, so we might open outside of
Italy” – and the freehold of many of the
Ferragamo shops around the world. “Real
estate became second nature to us almost
by chance. We’re allergic to paying rent,”
he says.
I ask if he has a philosophy when it
comes to investing.“I call it the three Ls –
I have to love something, it has to be in a
good location and the investment has to
be for the long term. If you stick to those
rules in real estate you’ll never lose.”
“As a family we don’t speculate. There
is not a speculative piece of DNA in our
bodies. When you speculate it’s like musi-
cal chairs – if the music stops and you
don’t have somewhere to sit, you’ve got a
problem,” he adds firmly.
Personal perspectives
on property
The Wealth Report Editor Andrew Shirley
talks to MASSIMO FERRAGAMO about
homes, property investments and an
unusual collection
country house in Millbrook, a small vil-
lage in upstate New York referred to as a
low-key version of the Hamptons.
“I love the contrast between the city
and the countryside,” he explains. “They
are quite different, and I really like that.”
But, I ask, if you had to make a choice? “If
I was forced to choose I would say I prefer
the countryside,” he concedes after a mo-
ment’s thought.
He brushes off my surprise that he
doesn’t also own a waterside property
like many other UHNWIs or a ski chalet,
especially as his wife skied for the Italian
national team. He says he likes to keep
things simple.
“To be honest, a collection of houses
can also be a collection of headaches,” he
says, “and there are so many lovely
places around the world to stay and ski.
The whole family is also a great lover of
boats, so we prefer to actually be on the
water, not just looking at it.”
Helping people avoid the problems
often associated with second-home
ownership was one of the reasons behind
the development of the Castiglion del
Bosco estate, which he stumbled across
by chance when looking for somewhere
to make wine. He certainly wasn’t looking
for a project of that scale – the estate in-
cluded many medieval buildings in need
of renovation – but he fell in love with it.
As a family we don’t speculate. There
is not a speculative piece of DNA in our bodies.
When you speculate it’s like musical chairs
To be honest, a collection of houses
can also be a collection of headaches
MASSIMO
FERRAGAMO
As a scion of one of Italy’s, if
not the world’s, most influential
and successful fashion dynasties,
Massimo Ferragamo has style in
his DNA. The sixth and youngest
child of Salvatore Ferragamo,
who rose to fame creating shoes
for the stars of Hollywood in
the 1920s, Massimo is Chairman
of Ferragamo USA, and pursues
personal and family projects in his
native Tuscany.
MASSIMOMASSIMO
FERRAGAMO
MASSIMO
FERRAGAMO
MASSIMO
FERRAGAMO
MASSIMO
FERRAGAMO
MASSIMO
FERRAGAMO
MASSIMO
FERRAGAMO
MASSIMO
FERRAGAMO
MASSIMO
FERRAGAMO
MASSIMO
FERRAGAMO
MASSIMO
FERRAGAMOFERRAGAMOFERRAGAMOFERRAGAMOFERRAGAMOFERRAGAMO
Given that Mr Ferragamo has such a
peripatetic lifestyle, I wonder if he has
time for any other investments of pas-
sion apart from property – maybe art or
classic cars. “As a family we own art, al-
though I’m not really a collector myself,”
he says. But as befits somebody who likes
to make his own rules when investing in
property, it turns out that he does have a
suitably individual collection that takes
pride of place in his Florentine study.
“I do love sports, so I like to buy an-
tique silver trophies. You can get a nice
surprise when you turn them over and
see they were made by Mappin & Webb,
Asprey or Garrard.” His favourite, he
says, is a huge 1904 silver charity shield
from England, once competed for by a
team called the Corinthians against the
winners of the then equivalent of the
Premier League.
Although he “hates to overpay” for
anything, Mr Ferragamo says, as with prop-
erty, you have to like what you buy and be
prepared to hold it, and then in the long
term it will prove to be a good investment.
LABOUR OF LOVE
Castiglion del Bosco in
Tuscany’s Val d’Orcia
WELL-HEELED The Ferragamo Museum in Florence
PIRI (PRIME INTERNATIONAL RESIDENTIAL INDEX) THE WEALTH REPORT 20154544
PROPERTy INVESTMENT 46
UHNWI appetite for
property increases
In the 2014 edition of The Wealth Report,
almost half of the wealth advisors who
took part in our annual Attitudes Survey
said that their UHNWI clients would po-
tentially increase their investment alloca-
tion to property during the year. In this
year’s survey, almost 40% of respondents
said that had actually happened.
Property is definitely back on the
agenda for private investors, who ac-
counted for around a quarter of all com-
mercial property deals last year, as well as
residential investments. Tracking the ex-
act proportion is difficult because many
transactions, while essentially funded
by an UHNWI, are fronted by a family-
owned fund, company or private office.
The tangible nature of property,
especially when located in leading cities
such as London, is one of its enduring
attractions. But UHNWIs are now looking
beyond prime or trophy offices and retail
space as a safe haven for their funds; they
are prepared to look up the risk curve to
non-core locations.
This may mean moving outside a
capital city’s CBD area, where yields have
become increasingly compressed, or
heading into secondary cities where bet-
ter value and higher returns are available.
Increasingly for many UHNWIs it also
means investing overseas. The results
of our Capital Markets Survey show that
wealthy investors are allocating more of
their funds to property investments out-
side their own country. More peripheral
markets such as Ireland and Spain are
benefiting from this trend.
Demand for alternative property assets
is also growing, and is leading to more
private investment into business-critical
opportunities like health care and student
accommodation. UHNWIs are adopting
increasingly sophisticated investment
strategies, and sometimes this approach
involves the kind of active management
previously restricted to institutions and
funds. Examples include refurbishment
and development projects.
Goodwin Gaw, who we interview at the
end of this chapter, is one of Asia’s lead-
ing property investors and exemplifies
this value-add approach. Where others
may see down-at-heel neighbourhoods,
he sees opportunities for regeneration
and social change.
According to our latest Attitudes
Survey results, the UHNWI hunger for
property as an investment remains
undimmed. Falling oil prices should free
up more capital to be spent on consumer
goods, which should in turn present
more property opportunities to feed the
increasingly hungry private investor.
01
Commercially minded
An estimated $619bn of
commercial property deals was
transacted in 2014, a 7%
increase on the previous year
03
Global flow
UHNWIs are increasing the
amounts they invest overseas,
according to the results of our
Capital Markets Survey
02
Big deal
UHNWIs were active in the
market during 2014, accounting
for over $150bn of commercial
transactions. The biggest was
the $1.15bn purchase of
london’s “Gherkin” by a wealthy
Brazilian family
Global trends and markets:
the need-to-know guide for
UHNWI property investors
PROPERTy INVESTMENT 46PROPERTy INVESTMENT THE WEAlTH REPORT 20154746
Forecast global
investment volumes (US$bn)
2017
2016
2015
657 704 770
Global property investment in 2014
466
153
Institutional
Private
By sector (US$bn)
By investor type (US$bn)
By region (US$bn)
Hotel
64
Retail
161
Industrial
87
Office
307
North America
286
Europe
228
Asia-Pacific
125
Rest of world
8
Source: RCA, Knight Frank Research Note: Knight Frank
Research estimates for 2014, and forecasts for 2015 to
2017, are based on RCA data.
the equivalent of adding 18 new corpora-
tions the size of General Motors. China is
far from a busted flush and actually some-
where to look for long-term opportunities.
That office rents have edged back rather
than slumped in Shanghai and Beijing dur-
ing challenging market conditions bodes
well for the long term, so I see resilience in
key centres.
India’s property market has experi-
enced a marked slowdown. However, on a
recent trip to Mumbai I was struck by the
energising effect of the reformist Modi gov-
ernment on the business community. The
Knight Frank India Real Estate Sentiment
Index reflects this, with confidence in the
property industry nearly doubling in 2014.
Dubai’s commercial property is often
overshadowed by the residential market.
However, office rents are showing tentative
signs of recovery, and Jebel Ali has been de-
clared the world’s most productive port by
the Journal of Commerce, while passenger
numbers at Dubai’s international airport
continue to rise. This suggests the core
economic areas of tourism, trade and travel
are performing well.
North America saw a strong increase
in sales volume in 2014 (+8%). New York
and San Francisco are established in a new
cycle, so investments need to have a value-
add angle, such as development or refur-
bishment, or be a safe income counterbal-
ance to riskier investments elsewhere.
In the US, CBD vacancy rates are lower
than in suburban areas. However, those
suburban office locations with good
transport connections to CBD areas, and a
mixed-use setting, are performing better.
This could offer opportunities to those
comfortable with a higher-risk profile.
Europe enjoyed an impressive
rebound in investment last year, with
investors re-entering the markets that
suffered most in the 2010 to 2012 period,
like Spain and Ireland. In 2012 Spain saw
just three deals of over €100m; last year
there were 16.
The core eurozone economies of
France and Germany were largely stag-
nant in 2014. However, property in the
gateway city of Paris has mostly defied
the gloom, and plans to develop new rail
infrastructure will create future devel-
opment hotspots. Berlin has a vibrant
technology scene and a relatively low cost
of living for young workers. I see more
incubators for start-ups being developed.
UHNWIs are now an important force
in the commercial property world and are
operating at all levels – prime, secondary,
development and change of use. Opportu-
nities are opening up as the global econo-
my moves into a new cycle. Development
in particular is rising up the agenda in
the real estate world, and UHNWIs will be
part of the new wave of building.
refinery blues The slump in oil prices may be bad news for producers, but it
could benefit property markets
Commercial
real estate in 2015
In a constantly changing world UHNWIs
are finding value by investing ambitiously
in commercial real estate
JAMES ROBERTS, Chief Economist
Source: RCA, Knight Frank Research
Today
UHNWIs are as
sophisticated
as many
institutional
investors,
reflecting that
many
have long-
established
real estate
portfolios
If I had to pick a single word that could ap-
ply right across the global economy at this
time it would have to be “uncertainty”. This
is why investors are looking at real estate.
For the investor in the Middle East it is
uncertainty over the situation in Iraq and
Syria. To the European or Japanese inves-
tor it is the move towards QE and whether
this will end stagnation. Conversely, the
American or Briton faces uncertainty
on how best to invest to capitalise on an
unfolding recovery.
A real estate investor knows that if the
lean years are to continue, one buys the
safe prime assets, like offices in Manhat-
tan or shops on the Champs-Élysées. If
the economy is about to improve, the
riskier but higher-yielding properties are
where opportunities lie.
The game changer
For me the slump in oil prices that started
in 2014 is a game changer for the econo-
my, and also for property investment.
The world today uses more oil in four
months than it did during the whole of
the Second World War. The global oil bill
in 2014 was bigger than the GDP of Brazil
but will be less in 2015. The fall in price
will result in a huge transfer of money.
Consumers will have more to spend, and
firms more to invest. Yet despite the rise
in spending, inflation will stay in check as
energy is such an influence on other prices.
This comes at a time when real estate
investors are already adopting a higher-
risk profile. We estimate global commer-
cial real estate sales volume increased by
7% in 2014 to around US$619bn in 2014,
with value-add assets increasingly popu-
lar. Value-add is any building where the
purchaser can grow the investment return
via construction, changing to another use
like residential, or signing up higher-
paying tenants. I see global sales rising by
another 6% in 2015, with value-add rising
further up the agenda.
Private investors are following the
trend towards risk, which was not typical
of previous property market cycles. Tradi-
tionally, the private investor has targeted
prime assets, but last year a quarter of
global commercial sales were to private
buyers, despite the move towards risk in
evidence in many markets.
Today UHNWIs are as sophisticated
as many institutional investors, reflect-
ing that many have long-established real
estate portfolios. Moreover, in our digital
age private investors are able to access a
wealth of global information to inform
their decisions. In 2015 we expect to see
more private money in the value-add
asset market.
Where next?
In the cities that have led the recovery,
like London, New York and San Francisco,
the skylines are peppered with cranes.
Since the Olympics London has added
seven new skyscrapers. In these cities
higher-risk investment strategies are now
in play, so real estate investors are asking
where next they should buy to best ride
the recovery.
A good starting point has to be the
places that have been struggling up
to now.
Commercial property sales in Asia-
Pacific fell by 5% in 2014. The region’s two
rising giants, India and China, are indica-
tive of trends in the broader region.
In China the land market has seen sales
drop by 22%, which is understandable in
a country that has built “ghost cities” in
the past. China is adapting to a new pace
of growth, but the country’s projected GDP
increase this year from the IMF is about
Top five private investor deals
of 2014
Type: Office
City: London
Buyer: Safra Group
US$1,152m
30 St Mary Axe
US$ 350m
Type: Retail
City: Moscow
Buyer:The Gutserievy
brothers
Novinsky Passage
US$336m
Type: Hotel
City: Worldwide
Buyer:Adrian Zecha in
JV with Peak Hotels and
Resorts
Aman Resorts
US$226m
Type: Office
City:Toronto
Buyer: Amancio Ortega
Type: Office
City: Frankfurt
Buyer: Susanne Klatten
WINX–The Riverside Tower
US$436m
Renaissance Plaza
property investment the wealth report 20154948
Market performance
Looking at the ongoing performance of
commercial property markets, most of
our capital markets teams expect prices
to hold firm or increase slightly this year.
But the outlook for Russia is more bearish,
with commercial values predicted to de-
crease significantly in 2015. At the other
end of the spectrum, Spanish markets are
set to continue their rebound with prices
increasing significantly. Australia is also
expecting an uptick buoyed by strong de-
mand from Asian investors.
It will be interesting to see how the
European Central Bank’s quantitative eas-
ing experiment unfolds. In other parts of
the world QE measures have driven sig-
nificant investment flows into alternative
asset classes, such as property. From my
own experience, I think property invest-
ment will increasingly be considered more
mainstreamandlessalternativebyUHNWIs.
property investing, while others may be
from a particular diaspora investing back
into their homelands – for example, US-
domiciled Indians, and ex-pat Kenyans.
Those based in less stable parts of the
world are often seeking a safe-haven for
their wealth.
This safe-haven theme is also reflected
in the preferred locations and sectors for
those UHNWIs investing outside their
own countries. The UK, and London in
particular, was the most popular first-
choice destination.
Germany was at the top of the list for
UK-based wealthy individuals and was a
popular second for other European
UHNWIs. For Asian investors, Australia
and the US were leading second or third
choice destinations. A Chinese UHNWI,
for example, has just bought 175 Liverpool
Street, a Grade A office building in
Sydney’s CBD, for AU$400m.
Office buildings were the dominant
commercial investment sector of choice,
however, there is still demand for
residential buildings, particularly from
UHNWIs making their first foray into
property investment.
Alex Foshay, of our New York Capital
Markets team, highlights Miami, which
attracts a lot of interest from Latin
American UHNWIs, as a case in point.
Demand has mainly been focused on
condominium developments, but private
investors are now starting to look at more
commercial sectors.
In terms of inbound investment from
UHNWIs from other countries, there are
some interesting patterns.
China is not seeing an increase in the
number of private individuals looking to
invest in property there. The same pattern
is repeated for Hong Kong and Singapore.
The uncertainty around the extent of the
Chinese economic slowdown is clearly
having an impact.
For the UK and France, the Middle
East is the source of most private invest-
ment, although those from other parts of
the world are making their presence felt,
notably Brazilian billionaire Joseph Safra
who purchased London’s “Gherkin”.
In Australia, the US and Africa, wealthy
Chinese investors are currently the most
significant overseas investors.
Tony Galetti, Head of Knight Frank
South Africa, says the growth of UHNWI
Chinese investment into South Africa has
been impressive over the past few years.
There is a strong preference for indus-
trial property, he points out, with large
industrial area, of greater Johannesburg
that have been virtually all bought up by
private Chinese investors. There have also
been several trophy purchases, including
a prominent Sandton skyscraper as well as
several notable wine farms in the Western
Cape region.
In the US, gateway cities, particularly
New York and San Francisco, are attract-
ing not just Chinese investment, but also
interest from Korean, Israeli and Middle
Eastern UHNWI, says Alex Foshay.
One of the
clear trends
to emerge
is the
increasingly
global nature
of private
investments
Africa calling Cities like Johannesburg are attracting significant numbers of
Chinese UHNWI investors
In my role advising high-net-worth inves-
tors from around the world, it is clear that
the demand for property as an investment
class is increasing rapidly.
To help analyse the global property
investment activities of UHNWIs in more
detail, The Wealth Report conducted a
survey of Knight Frank’s Capital Markets
teams in key locations around the world
to find out where and what the super-
wealthy are buying.
One of the clear trends to emerge is
the increasingly global nature of private
investments. UHNWIs still hold most of
their property investments in their own
country, but in the vast majority of the
locations surveyed, wealthy private indi-
viduals have been increasing the amount
invested overseas.
Some are diversifying their portfo-
lios as they gain more experience with
UHNWI
propertyinvestment
goes global
Key trends from the results of The Wealth
Report Global Capital Markets Survey
Deborah Watt, Head of Global Wealth
Investments
Predicted change in commercial property values in 2015
The Wealth Report Global Capital Markets Survey 2015
UHNWI commercial property
portfolio allocations
How has that changed
over the past five years?
Location
Own
country
Other
country
Own
country
Other
country
90%
80%
70%
80%
70%
90%
80%
95%
90%
80%
60%
60%
70%
80%
80%
Australia
Germany
Hong Kong
India
Kenya
Malaysia
Singapore
SouthAfrica
Spain
UAE
UK
US
Russia
China
France
10%
20%
30%
20%
30%
10%
20%
05%
10%
20%
40%
40%
30%
20%
20%
Inbound UHNWI
investments
Key
Main
source
Investment
rising?
Preferred
sector
Source:The Wealth Report Global Capital Markets Survey
Outbound UHNWI
investments
Preferred
location
Preferred
sector
Germany
Belgium
US
US
US
N/A
UK
UK
UK
UK
UK
UK
UK
UK
UK
UK
UK
UK
YES
YES
YES
YES
YES
YES
YES
YES
YES
NO
NO
NO
NO
NO
N/A
NO
China
China
China
GCC
Singapore
China
China
GCC
Hong Kong
GCC
India
India
Residential
Increase
slightly
Remain
the same
Decrease
slightly
Increase
significantly
Decrease
significantly
Office
RetailLand
property investment the wealth report 20155150
Wealthy Chinese investors have been expanding from
luxury residential properties into office buildings,
shopping malls and hotels. The latest example is the
high-profile joint-venture purchase of the General
Motors Building in New York by Zhang Xin, chief
executive of office landlord Soho China. After several
initial waves of Chinese institutional capital outflow,
Chinese UHNWIs are becoming part of the so-called
Fourth Wave of investors, which also consists of
insurance companies, small- to mid-cap state-owned
enterprises and private developers. After heavy
investment into gateway cities and trophy buildings,
Chinese UHNWIs have established a familiarity with
transacting in these markets, and we expect that they
will start to pursue higher yields in other commercial
property sectors. We will see them moving beyond
the gateway cities of London, New York and Sydney
and investing into other key cities, such as Frankfurt,
Brisbane, Miami and Manchester. In fact, cities like
Miami are already firmly on the radar of the wealthy
Chinese investors, as the prices of apartments there
are up to 25% lower than in Shanghai. A key trend
remains the cultural diversity of the city, and of grow-
ing importance is the quality of life offered. These
factors will continue to draw in Chinese UHNWIs.
Investor interest in farmland continues to grow for a
number of reasons. First, demographics. Everybody
has to eat, and the world’s population is set to hit
nine billion by 2050. Investing in farmland is a sim-
ple way to buy into the demand created by this trend.
But not only will there be more mouths to feed; those
mouths are demanding more meat and dairy-based
foodstuffs, which require more land to produce per
unit of energy than traditional grain-based diets.
Second, tangibility. Off the back of the financial
crisis, farmland is increasingly being seen as a safe-
haven inflation-hedging asset. In the UK values have
risen almost 200% over the past 10 years, according
to the Knight Frank Farmland Index. Third, the
ability to add value to underutilised land. For the
more hands-on investor this offers the opportunity
to substantially boost capital values, particularly in
areas with a higher-risk profile, and is something our
experts in Zambia are helping a number of UHNWI
investors achieve.
The decline of Cairo’s
commercial influence at
the northern end of Af-
rica, and the realisation
by international busi-
nesses that they cannot
run the entire continent
from Johannesburg in
the southern tip, has
created a vacuum that
Nairobi is eagerly filling.
With the arrival and
expansion of a string of
multinationals, the city
is now firmly established
as one of Africa’s leading
hubs. Local developers
have responded by build-
ing Grade A quality office
space that is attracting
top-quality tenants pay-
ing dollar-denominated
rents with leases that
include fixed annual in-
creases. Generally, rents
are perceived as good
value by international
firms, suggesting there is
room for healthy future
rental growth and also
yield shift, which in
turn is attracting global
investors. In addition,
newly discovered oil and
gas deposits are creating
something of an energy
boom, while all sectors
of Kenya’s economy,
apart from tourism, are
growing — GDP is rising
at around 5.5% each year.
This is largely being
driven by a burgeoning
middle class hungry for
Western-style goods and
shopping experiences
that, by and large, seems
impervious to political
controversies and terror-
ism activities. This year
should see the opening of
around 1.8m square feet
of First-World shopping
malls in Nairobi, with
new international retail-
ers committing to the
region for the first time.
They may have already
made their first billion
or 10, but changing the
world with one wildly
successful idea like
Twitter or LinkedIn
isn’t enough. Tech
entrepreneurs who have
seen their companies
mature to the point of
initial public offering are
continuing to reinvest
their intellectual and
monetary capital into
new start-up companies
with their own require-
ments for office space.
However, while the
hunger to discover the
next game-changing
technology remains un-
diminished, the location
of the search has shifted.
We are seeing a move
away from the Silicon
Valley into San Francisco
proper as firms recognise
the latest generation of
tech talent wants to live,
socialise and work in
the centre of the action.
Cash-rich companies like
Google are also buying
space, not renting it. In
addition to the renowned
SOMA district and
burgeoning Mid-Market
area, neighbourhoods
such as the Mission and
Potrero districts are be-
ing targeted by smaller
and start-up tech firms.
A growing sector in the
town is the establishment
of luxurious private tech
clubs such as The Bat-
tery, where entrepreneurs
and developers can hang
out and share ideas.
Last year was a tumultuous one for the Gulf region.
After an extremely positive start to the year, contin-
ued political and economic instability in the Middle
East, as well as sharp falls in oil prices, hit confidence
hard across local capital markets. As a result, we have
witnessed further investment flows from the region
into stable, income-generating commercial property
nEIL Brookes
Head of Capital Markets, Asia-Pacific
Anthony Havelock
Head of Agency, Nairobi
tom raynham
Head of Agricultural Investments, London
Kyle Kovac
Senior Managing Director, Capital Markets
San Francisco
Joseph Morris
Head of Capital Markets, Middle East
behaviourial
Locations to watch:
Miami, Manchester and Brisbane
internationally. Key cities such as London continue
to attract capital, but we have more recently seen
Middle Eastern investors moving up the risk curve to
tier-two cities and UK regions, as well as peripheral
eurozone markets like Ireland, Germany and Spain.
More locally, in the Gulf, with high volatility across
both the local stock market and the Dubai residential
sector, we anticipate that assets such as commercial
real estate with long-term occupational leases will
benefit from the fallout, especially as Dubai preserves
its status as the region’s relative safe haven. Investor
interest is growing from the wider GCC (particularly
Saudi Arabia), but also from countries such as India.
This year
should see the
opening of
around 1.8m
square feet of
First World
shopping malls
in Nairobi
Everybody
has to eat, and
the world’s
population is
set to hit
nine billion
by 2050.
Investing in
farmland is a
simple way to
buy into the
demand created
by this trend
The Wealth Report asks 10 property
investment experts from across
Knight Frank’s global network to
highlight trends that private UHNW
investors should be watching closely
TREND
Chinese investors
diversifying their portfolios
TREND
Rebalancing of economic
power in Africa
Changing population and food
consumption trends
sector to watch:
grade a office and retail space in nairobi
sector to watch:
agricultural land in the uk and africa
Middle Eastern economic and
political instability
sector to watch:
Commercial property in the uae
Reinvestment by US West Coast
tech entrepreneurs
sectors to watch:
the mission and potrero areas of san
francisco and the new wave of tech clubs
TREND
TREND
TREND
property investment the wealth report 20155352
A change in consumer behaviour and societal trends,
and the increasing rise of the internet, has made
property investors look more closely at traditionally
non-core options. While the three main sectors of
logistics, offices and retail continue to dominate,
specialist property sectors, predominantly compris-
ing student accommodation, hotels and health care,
have substantially increased their impact on the
investment landscape, particularly with UHNWIs.
The main rationale is that the physical properties
themselves in these sectors are business-critical as-
sets – without the building the operator will not have
a business – and will generally benefit from long-term
leases to good covenants, with fixed or inflation-
linked increases contained within the leases. This
provides the UHNWI investors with an asset class
they will generally be familiar with, combined with
an easy-to-manage and hands-off investment that re-
quires little active property asset management. With
all occupational markets within these subsectors
seeing robust high-calibre demand for best-in-class
locations, there should continue to be a pipeline of
good-quality supply from tenants in solid occupier
markets. This all signals sound investment opportu-
nities for investors looking for wealth preservation
and wealth generation.
Owning their own home still remains a key aspiration
for most people in the UK, but a growing number of
young professionals now see renting as a long-term
option rather than as a stopgap while they save to
buy a property. In part this has been driven by the
increasing cost of joining the housing ladder, but it
also reflects transitional modern lifestyles as people
switch jobs more often and want the freedom to
move from one location to another. This demand
for rented property provides investors with a secure
return because it is easy to find another tenant when
one moves on. The private-rental sector model in
the UK is also evolving. Purpose-built developments
maximise returns by carefully balancing social and
private space. More compact and efficiently laid-out
apartments allow more units per development, but
this is offset by better communal facilities like gyms,
and more luxurious private space such as en-suite
bathrooms and balconies. London is still hugely
popular for investors wanting a long-term secure
asset, but higher yields are on offer in regional cities
like Birmingham, which will benefit from the HS2
railway. Annual net yields of over 5% are available.
Although some com-
mentators are saying that
Australian commercial
property is now fully
priced, partly on the back
of continued demand
from Asian institutions
and private investors, I
believe the market still
offers opportunities for
UHNWIs. While current
premium (trophy) yields
in Sydney’s CBD are
almost comparable to
the 2007 nadir, yields are
still relatively high on
a global basis and there
is the expectation that
local funding costs will
fall to their lowest levels
on record in 2015 and re-
main “lower for longer”.
This means a substantial
positive spread between
property yields and fund-
ing costs is opening up.
This is most accentuated
for non-CBD secondary
grade, suburban and pro-
vincial office stock. Cross-
border capital flows will
increase further because
of the depreciation of
the Australian dollar,
driving even higher sales
volumes and asset prices.
This will be complement-
ed by a more positive
outlook in the occupier
market, particularly in
east coast cities where
stock levels are falling
because of conversion of
former commercial space
into hotels and residen-
tial accommodation.
Ireland’s economy was one of the first to rebound
from the financial crisis, with current growth rates
of over 7%. One of the main drivers of the recovery
has been the country’s ability to attract foreign direct
JAMES MAnniX
Head of Residential Capital Markets, UK
JAMES pARRY
Head of Institutional Sales and Capital Markets, Australia
ADRiAn TRUEiCk
Investments, Dublin
investment, particularly from the fast-growing IT
sector, with Google, Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook
all expanding their Irish operations in 2014. Mirror-
ing the broader economy, the property sector has
rebounded from the lows of 2010/11, with strong oc-
cupier demand pushing up rents in all sectors. With
very little new construction over the past five years
and a limited development pipeline, rents are likely
to continue to grow strongly over the next 24 months.
Although the total property return is predicted to
exceed 36% in 2014, property values are still ap-
proximately 20% below their peak, offering potential
for attractive investment returns. Investor demand,
buoyed by the strength of the dollar against the euro,
is largely from US private equity funds that have
targeted both large-scale asset and loan portfolios.
Although they have now been joined by some of the
European pension funds and Middle Eastern inves-
tors, demand from UHNWIs has so far been limited
to some Asian interest in the hotel sector. With a
number of trophy residential and commercial assets
still to be traded, the market offers international
private investors a stable environment with potential
for attractive returns.
Owning
their own home
still remains
a key aspiration
for most people
in the UK,
but a growing
number
of young
professionals
now see renting
as a long-term
option
rather than as
a stopgap
ShAUn ROY
Head of Specialist Property Investment, london
I am increasingly seeing
the second or third
generation of UHNW
families being allocated
a proportion of the fam-
ily’s investment portfolio
to invest into commercial
real estate. These gen-
erations are generally
more globally educated
– often in the UK or the
US – than their parents
or grandparents and are
approaching investment
in a fashion more akin
to a professional fund or
wealth manager. There
is more of a focus on
cash-flow analysis of the
investment, and on
analysis of tenant cov-
enant strength and local
market drivers. They are
looking for performance
over trophy assets.
Capital gain through
development is popular,
as are higher- income
yields, possibly through
buying offices in strong
regional, rather than
capital, cities or looking
at different sectors such
as logistics. Overall there
is uncertainty about go-
ing into property funds
to achieve exposure to
this sector – the younger
generation want control
and believe that they
will achieve as good, if
not better, returns than
if they handed over
capital to a fund man-
ager. There is a culture of
wanting to prove to their
fathers or grandfathers
that they can grow and
protect the family wealth
for future generations.
I am
increasingly
seeing the
second or third
generation
of UHNW
families being
allocated a
proportion
of the family’s
investment
portfolio to
invest into
commercial
real estate
DEBORAh WATT
Head of Global Wealth Investment, london
For more information on
Knight Frank’s Commercial
Property and Capital Markets
teams please contact
deborah.watt@knightfrank.com
TREnD
TREnD
TREnD
Rising interest in
long-term renting
SECTOR TO WATCh:
nEW-BUilD REnTAl ACCOMMODATiOn in ThE Uk
Property markets lagging in
economic recovery
SECTOR TO WATCh:
iT in iRElAnD
Asian interest in
Australia
SECTORS TO WATCh:
nOn-CORE, SUBURBAn OR pROvinCiAl
OFFiCE MARkETS
Business-critical assets offer
long-term security
SECTORS TO WATCh:
hOTElS, STUDEnT ACCOMMODATiOn, hEAlTh CARE
SECTOR TO WATCh:
ASSET MAnAGEMEnT OppORTUniTiES
in ThE OFFiCE SECTOR
Generational shifts in UHNWI
investment strategies
TREnD
TREnD
PROPERTy INVESTMENT THE WEAlTH REPORT 20155554
Personal perspectives
on property
The Wealth Report Editor Andrew
Shirley talks to GOODWIN GAW about
his passion for property and why
investing in the wrong side of town
can sometimes be the right move
Asian HNWIs are looking for safety rather
than pure upside at the moment, and that
means markets with liquidity – places like
London and New York
The aim is to change neighbourhoods,
make them better places to live, to take an
ugly duckling and turn it into something
sexy and trendy
The first thing I notice when talking to
Goodwin Gaw in his Hong Kong office is
that property development is clearly more
than just a business for him. It is some-
thing he is deeply passionate about at a
very personal level.
“I was always into building things and
architecture as a kid. I even thought I
wanted to be an architect. So my dad sent
me off to work with one, but then I realised
something: apart from a few very success-
ful ones, and even then only later on in
their careers, architects generally build
what their clients want, not what they
want to.”
For many in the real estate industry, it’s
the deal that is their lifeblood. But I don’t
get the impression that this is what makes
Goodwin Gaw tick. For him it’s the chance
to take something unloved, recycle it and
bring it back to life.
Take his very first investment, for ex-
ample. In 1995 he bought Hollywood’s
iconic Roosevelt Hotel, bankrupt and a
shadow of its former life, which witnessed
some of Tinseltown’s most historic
events, including the inaugural Academy
Awards and Marilyn Monroe’s first model-
ling shoot.
Not only is the hotel again the cool
place to be seen, but the deal spurred a
slew of further investments, including the
conversion of over 40,000 square metres
of empty historical buildings into trendy
residential lofts, which helped rejuvenate
the then down-at-heel downtown area of
Los Angeles.
Re-urbanisation, or reverse suburbani-
sation, is a big theme, he tells me. “There
is no reason people should be scattered in
lots of suburbs. They may be socialising
online, but they want to collaborate in a
physical space.”
“To me real estate is not just a category
of investment. It’s living bricks and mor-
tar. I feel a lot of the time it’s not about the
money. The aim is to change neighbour-
hoods, make them better places to live,
to take an ugly duckling and turn it into
something sexy and trendy.”
However, Mr Gaw is quick to point out
that financial success generally follows.
“The goal is to create a return for investors,
although some have asked me, ‘Are you
having too much fun?’ But I tell them when
I’m having fun that’s when I know things
are going well. And I am always investing
my own money into every project.”
He says he hasn’t “miscued” too many
times, and on the few occasions a deal
hasn’t really fired, like a tax-driven rein-
vestment acquisition in Houston or a foray
GOODWIN
GAW
Hong Kong-based Goodwin Gaw
is one of Asia’s most influential and
innovativepropertydevelopersandin-
vestors. Investing his own money and
that of his investors, he has built up
a diverse residential, commercial and
leisureportfoliospanningEurope,Asia
and North America.
GOODWINGOODWINGOODWINGOODWINGOODWINGOODWIN
GAW
GOODWIN
GAW
GOODWIN
GAW
GOODWIN
GAW
GOODWIN
GAW
GOODWIN
GAW
into the Philippines, it has been because
he ventured outside his core investment
philosophy.
“I like to invest in markets with con-
straints,” he says – places like London,
Hong Kong and New York, where physical
boundaries and planning policies create
zones where people want to live or busi-
nesses need to be located.
“Houston was never a market that I
liked. There’s no zoning, and if you look
out from the top of a tall building all you
can see is land. But I thought that if I reno-
vated the building I could charge higher
rents, but people just go and build some-
where else. It taught me that if a market is
high enough for you to want to sell some-
thing, then just pay the tax.”
He adds, “The Philippines wasn’t an
easy place to do business. It’s really an in-
sider’s market.”
Although his family bought and rede-
veloped one of Yangon’s best hotels – “My
grandfather was brought up in Burma, my
father was born there” – investors aren’t
generally flocking towards emerging mar-
kets now, he says.
“Asian HNWIs are looking for safety
rather than pure upside at the moment,
and that means markets with liquidity –
places like London and New York. Tokyo
also looks like an interesting play.”
But he still likes to focus on the edgier
parts of town and is eyeing up Hong Kong’s
Sham Shui Po neighbourhood. He remains
upbeat about China – “Apart from the US
it will be the world’s only self-sustaining
economy” – and is involved with a US$1bn
redevelopment of a Beijing “vintage-style”
retail outlet. “It will be a fresh new take on
something that is obsolete. It will be cut-
ting edge.”
Cities go through cycles, he explains.
“At one point everything old is considered
obsolete, but then people get nostalgic for
it. You need history. Take New York’s meat-
packing district, London’s Shoreditch. To
be a truly global city you need that charac-
ter, that variety.”
Having cut his property teeth on a
hotel redevelopment, Mr Gaw continues
to be drawn to hospitality and lifestyle op-
portunities around the world, but I’m not
surprised to hear he still likes something
with a bit of an alternative angle to it.
He helped, for example, bring renowned
hotelier Nick Jones’s arty Soho House
concept to Chicago and is also looking at
Hong Kong.
As we wrap up the interview I ask him
where he chooses to live and why. He suc-
cinctly lists Hong Kong and Los Angeles–
“Those are the places where I do busi-
ness.” But he gets more animated when I
ask about second homes. “We do have a
house in a members-only club in the Mon-
tana mountains, he says. “The air is so
clean up there.”
He pauses, thinks and then adds: “I
think that is a concept that could really de-
velop in China. People are becoming more
and more interested in healthy lifestyles
and organic food.” Watch this space.
FIRST TIME LUCKY The Roosevelt Hotel, Hollywood, has been one of Goodwin Gaw’s
most satisfying investments
PROPERTY INVESTMENT THE WEALTH REPORT 20155756
investments of passion:
performance and luxury
spending trends
Luxury
research
And now for the fun stuff. So far in The
Wealth Report we’ve talked about big
and important themes like global wealth
distribution, the world’s most important
cities, property markets and investments.
In this chapter we look at exciting
things like luxury goods, classic cars, art,
jewellery and fine wine.
Of course, this being a serious re-
search publication we naturally look
at such purchases from an investment
perspective. The latest results from the
Knight Frank Luxury Investment Index,
which tracks a theoretical portfolio of 10
investable luxury assets, show that many
of these investments of passion have
seen their values continue to rise.
Although, according to the results
of our Attitudes Survey, the personal
pleasure they provide is the main reason
most UHNWIs like to collect beautiful
and pleasurable things, one suspects
that even the most epicurean collectors
would prefer that their treasures grow
in value.
Coloured diamonds are the latest ad-
dition to our index. Given that jewellery
has historically been a common way to
store and transfer wealth in many cul-
tures, diamonds are perhaps one of the
most multifunctional assets in the index.
We list some of the most high-profile
sales in our special feature on p64.
Pearls, which until recently were
considered rather old-fashioned, are also
rising rapidly in value. This trend is being
helped by the almost total lack of supply
of new natural pearls coupled with strong
demand from the Arabian Gulf, where
many of the world’s finest pearls were
originally harvested.
Indeed, much of the recent demand for
luxury goods and investments has been
driven by wealth creation in regions with
burgeoning economies like Asia and the
Middle East. It is therefore intriguing to
see that the UK tops our new Big Spenders
Index, compiled for The Wealth Report by
Ledbury Research.
The index tracks the countries likely
to see the strongest growth in spending
on big-ticket luxury items by their own
UHNWI populations and visitors from
abroad. It would be fair to say that the
UK secured poll position off the back of
the many visitors who flock to London’s
luxury stores and increasingly out-of-
town designer outlets like Bicester Village
– the second-most visited destination in
the UK for wealthy Chinese tourists and
part of a string of similar ‘villages’ around
the world.
01
Rule britannia
the UK tops The Wealth
Report’s new Big spenders
index, produced for us by
Ledbury research
03
shining bright
Coloured diamonds now feature
in our index. on average their
value has risen by 167% since
2005
02
Vroom, vroom
Classic cars were once again
the top-performing asset class
in our Luxury investment index,
rising by 16% during 2014.
overall the index rose by 10%
last year and has grown by a
healthy 205% over the past
10 years
LUxUrY sPeNdiNg tHe WeaLtH rePort 20155958
The general outlook for luxury spending
continues to be positive. Almost a third
of respondents to The Wealth Report’s
Attitudes Survey expect their wealthy
clients to spend more on luxury goods
in 2015, compared with just 8% who
expect it to decline.
But how does the short-to-medium-
term outlook compare for individual
countries, and where in the world might
luxury brands look to expand? The new
Big Spenders Index, compiled exclusively
for The Wealth Report, provides some of
the answers by identifying the locations
likely to see strong growth in big-ticket
spending by their own ultra-wealthy
populations and visiting UHNWIs.
Topping the list for 2015 is a very well-
established centre of wealth, the UK. The
country scores well, in terms of both the
fortunes of its domestic UHNWI popula-
tion, thanks to the relative strength of the
UK economy, and our tracking of the driv-
ers and indicators of high-end spending.
The finding underlines the importance of
the UK for luxury brands, which sold over
£8bn of goods in the country last year,
according to Ledbury’s estimates.
China fills the second slot in our rank-
ing table. The Chinese are already the
single biggest consumers of luxury goods
around the world, accounting for some
29% of the global luxury spend, according
to consultants Bain & Altagamma.
Although recently much has been said
about the impact of the Chinese govern-
ment’s anti-graft measures on luxury
demand, Ledbury has consistently argued
that the fundamentals of the Chinese
luxury market remain very attractive,
given the burgeoning wealthy population
and rapidly growing middle class. China’s
high ranking in the Big Spenders Index
reflects the underlying robustness of its
UHNWI population.
While overall sales performance of
luxury goods in the Greater China region
has been muted over the past year, there
is no denying that there is still a strong
demand for luxury brands, which isn’t
going to change.
However, what is certainly changing is
where Chinese consumers are choosing to
buy luxury (the vast majority of Chinese
luxury spend is outside mainland China),
the selection of luxury brands they are
buying, and the profiles of the consumers
themselves, which are rapidly evolving
because of the varying attitudes that
exist towards luxury within the different
Chinese cities.
India, one of the lower-profile BRIC
economies, is in fifth place in our rank-
ings. Over the past year the rise in wealth
and the number of wealthy has been
impressive – the number of UHNWIs is in-
creasing rapidly, according to our Wealth
Model. Aligned to this wealth growth is
an equally substantial increase in luxury
consumption: the value of champagne
imports rose 19% year on year, according
to the most recent data from Le Comité
Interprofessionnel du Vin de Champagne,
despite total exports being flat.
We expect international luxury goods
to be particular beneficiaries of this new
wealth in India, rather than more tradi-
tional, local brands. For example, research
by the Kotak Mahindra bank has shown
that among the wealthy, the traditional
Almost a third
of respondents
to The Wealth
Report’s
Attitudes
Survey expect
their wealthy
clients to spend
more on
luxury goods
in 2015
Indian wedding gift is fast evolving away
from silver plates towards top Western
designer brands.
We also anticipate that wealth crea-
tion, and luxury consumption, will be
neither quite as controversial nor quite
as hampered by social inequality or
austerity agendas as has been the case in
Brazil and indeed, latterly, China. With
India’s long-standing caste system, wide
gaps in incomes and wealth are an ac-
cepted norm in the country, according to
Kotak Mahindra.
Reflecting on the regional make-up of
the top countries, it is interesting to see
Europe, Asia and the Middle East all well
represented. Africa is noticeably absent
this year, reflecting some weakening on
the continent, notably in commodity-
fuelled wealth, which had propelled the
success of a number of countries.
Hey, big spender
The results of a new index compiled for
The Wealth Report by Ledbury Research’s
Luxury Analysis team
MADELAINE OLLIVIER, Luxury
Analyst, Ledbury Research
APPAREL
Wearable technology and
luxury overlap
With the wearable tech trend continuing,
fashion brands have been collaborating
with tech companies to help break into
the market. But fashion brands are also
choosing to make their own wearable,
style-conscious tech. Ralph Lauren is
pioneering this strategy through its newly
unveiled line of smart clothes dubbed
Polo Tech. Embedded technology in the
clothes allows users to monitor their
bodies on their smartphones.
ACCESSORIES
Pre-owned luxury
Pre-owned luxury goods sales are boom-
ing. The second-hand market for luxury
apparel, accessories, watches and jewel-
lery is valued at some $19bn (Bain &
Altagamma). Leather goods and clothing
make up $4bn of that, and the segment is
growing faster than the luxury industry
overall (Bloomberg). Some products sold
on these marketplaces achieve prices
higher than retail, as customers bypass
waiting lists for items such as new
Hermès bags.
WATCHES AND JEWELLERY
Women’s watches boom
Women have traditionally been more
interested in smaller, unobtrusive styles
unable to accommodate the complex-
ity and multifunctionality of traditional
men’s watches. But a fashion for slightly
larger watches and jewellery, combined
with the growing purchasing power of
women, particularly in luxury strongholds
such as China, is helping drive sales. The
share of female watches in the market
has risen to around 35% from 20% in 1995
(Bain & Altagamma).
FINE WINES AND SPIRITS
China’s slowdown particularly
affects Cognac sales
French wine and spirits exports fell 7.3%
to €4.8bn in the first half of 2014, hit by a
28% fall in sales to China. Cognac exports
to China fell 12% (Fédération des Expor-
tateurs de Vins & Spiritueux de France).
The Chinese government’s continued
austerity campaign is thought to be part
of the explanation for the drop in Cognac
sales as the spirit is associated with gift-
ing. Scottish whisky sales are, however,
reporting an uptick in other emerging
Asian markets as the spirit is associated
with status.
CARS
India lags
Manufacturers had been hoping that
India would follow in China’s footsteps for
luxury car demand, but most have seen
disappointing sales and sluggish demand.
Only 250 supercars are estimated to have
been sold in the country in 2014 (HIS).
Import duty hikes and currency declines
aren’t helping, but a more fundamental
obstruction comes from India’s roads.
However, manufacturers could benefit
from impending releases of luxury SUVs.
YACHTS
Market recovers
At the 2014 Monaco Yacht Show, ship-
builders, brokers and outfitters all said
that the market was improving–35% more
superyachts were sold in the first half of
the year compared with the same period
in 2013 (Camper & Nicholsons Interna-
tional). This is despite some caution in the
industry because of the political uncer-
tainty within Russia and the Middle East,
traditionally seen as the strongest markets
for superyachts.
Luxury Spending Trends
Drawing on extensive monitoring of luxury markets around
the world, Ledbury Research picks out interesting developments
within the main luxury goods categories
set fair Yacht sales are on the rise
Source: Ledbury Research
	1
UK
9 5 8 7 5 5
	2
China
10 7 2 6 7 7
3
Qatar
7 10 9 10 2 2
4
Canada
9 8 5 10 3 4
5
India
8 10 10 5 1 4
6
SaudiArabia
8 5 9 10 4 3
7
Switzerland
10 8 6 6 3 4
8
Mexico
9 8 6 9 1 4
9
HongKong
9 9 9 2 2 3
	10
Kuwait
6 7 8 10 2 2
The Big Spenders Index 2015
Top 10 highest-scoring countries according to the Big Spenders Index,
based on scores in the following categories
Spending on luxury
imported items
Premium travel
and spending
Luxury store
footprint
Big-ticket luxury
goods spending
Wealth growth UHNWI population
COUNTRYRANK
10 10 10 10 10 10
10 10 10 10 10 10
10 10 10 10 10 10
10 10 10 10 10 10
10 10 10 10 10 10
10 10 10 10 10 10
10 10 10 10 10 10
10 10 10 10 10 10
10 10 10 10 10 10
10 10 10 10 10 10
luxury spending the wealth report 20156160
tion specialising in coloured or “fancy”
diamonds, along with a new index track-
ing their performance. Because of their
rarity these generally pink, yellow or blue
stones command very high prices at auc-
tion and seem to fall more readily into the
category of investments of passion. (See
our special focus on diamonds on p64 for
more details.)
So how has this newcomer to KFLII
performed compared with the other asset
classes that we track? Since January 2005
The Fancy Color Diamond Price Index has
increased by 167% in value, which inter-
estingly is almost exactly the same rise as
the wider jewellery index that we use.
Christie’s jewellery consultant Ray-
There is no doubt that so-called invest-
ments of passion are still catching the
imagination of the wealth management
sector and the media. I continue to be
pleasantly surprised by the press coverage
devoted to KFLII since it was launched
two years ago.
One question I have often been asked is
why we don’t include gold or diamonds in
the index. Gold to me has always seemed
more of a conventional investment that
tends to sit mainly in a bank vault, while
the pricing indices available for white
diamonds were too broad in their scope
for inclusion.
Now, however, a group of industry
experts has formed a research founda-
487% over the past 10 years and growing
16% in 2014. This actually represents some-
thing of a slowdown, following the index’s
staggering 47% surge the year before.
HAGI founder Dietrich Hatlapa says
the market is returning to normal –
although a 1962 Ferrari 250 GTO Berli-
netta did set a new world record when it
went under the hammer for $38m at the
Bonhams Quail Lodge sale in August.
In general, however, classic Porsche
models performed most strongly in 2014,
while more-modern supercars from the
1970s and 80s, like the Lamborghini
Countach and Ferrari F40, are growing in
popularity, adds Mr Hatlapa.
After a few years of relatively languid
performance, art appears to be bouncing
back, with annual growth of 15%, accord-
ing to data from Art Market Research.
“The art market has fully recovered from
the economic crisis,” says Harvey Mendel-
son, of art advisory firm 1858 Ltd. Chariot,
by Giacometti, was the most expensive
auction sale of the year, making almost
$101m at Sotheby’s record-breaking No-
vember sale of modern and impressionist
art in New York.
However, instability in certain parts
of the world is having an impact on spe-
cific sectors of the market. At a Sotheby’s
evening sale of high-value Russian art in
London only 32% of the 37 lots on offer
found buyers.
Coins were the only other asset class
to achieve double-digit growth in 2014
with gains of 13%. A rare Edward VIII,
1937, gold sovereign made £516,000 when
it was auctioned by Baldwin’s in May.
Our benchmark philatelic index – the
Stanley Gibbons GB250 – grew by just 3%
over the year, but the market for Chinese
and Commonwealth stamps continues to
grow strongly, says Keith Heddle, Head
of Investments at Stanley Gibbons. The
sole remaining example of a British
Guiana 1856 one-cent black on magenta
set a new world record when it was auc-
mond Sancroft-Baker, who compiles the
index on behalf of Art Market Research,
says that demand for top-quality coloured
gemstones is also very strong. “We’ve seen
a million dollars a carat paid for a Bur-
mese ruby recently, and £200,000 a carat
for a Kashmir sapphire.”
The market for pearls is also extremely
buoyant, says Mr Sancroft-Baker. “There
is a lot of demand from the Gulf States,
who are buying back their heritage. I
recently valued a pair of natural pearl ear-
rings at a million pounds.”
Once again classic cars have been the
strongest performer in KFLII over both the
long and short-term, with the value of the
HAGI Top Index rising by an astounding
The Knight Frank Luxury
Investment Index
(KFLII) is a weighted
index based on the
performance of 10
indices provided to
Knight Frank by the
third-party sources
listed.
Going, going, gone
Some of the record-breaking or most significant luxury investment auction results of 2014
01
04 05 06
02 03
01 Edward VIII gold sovereign. Sold by Baldwin’s for £516,000 02 1962 Ferrari 250 GTO Berlinetta. Sold by Bonhams for $38m 03 ‘Chariot’, by Giacometti. Sold by Sotheby’s for
$101m 04 British Guiana 1856 one-cent black on magenta stamp. Sold by Sotheby’s for $9.48m 05 1933 Patek Philippe Supercomplication pocket watch. Sold by Sotheby’s for 23.2
million Swiss francs 06 The Mellon Blue Diamond. Sold by Sotheby’s for $32.6m
tioned for $9.48m by Sotheby’s New York
in June.
The 1933 Patek Philippe Supercompli-
cation pocket watch was another record
breaker when it sold for 23.2 million Swiss
francs at Sotheby’s in Geneva, the highest
price for any timepiece sold at auction.
The overall watch market, however, re-
mained stable with annual growth of 4%.
Knight Frank’s Fine Wine Icons Index
was up 7% on the year, with strong growth
for certain US and Italian vintages. But
the top end of the Bordeaux market is yet
to stabilise, although it should finally bot-
tom out in 2015, says Nick Martin of Wine
Owners, which compiles the index.
The value of antique furniture contin-
ued to fall in 2014.
Overall, KFLII grew by a further 10% in
2014 and has risen by 205% over the past 10
years. Although this doesn’t take into ac-
count any storage, maintenance, insurance
or dealing costs, it does help explain the
ongoing interest in luxury investments.
Sparkling returns
The latest results from the Knight Frank
Luxury Investment Index (KFLII), which
now includes coloured diamonds
ANDREW SHIRLEY,
the Wealth Report Editor
Performance of the Knight Frank Luxury Investment Index by asset class, Q4 2004 to Q4 2014*
Sources: Art Market
Research –Furniture,
Chinese Ceramics,
Jewellery, Watches, Art.
Stanley Gibbons –
Stamps, coins.
HAGI – Classic cars.
Wine Owners - Wine.
Fancy Color Research
Foundation –Diamonds.
*Except coloured
diamonds, Jan 2005 to
Oct 2014
12-month performance
5-year performance
10-year performance
CoinsColoured
Diamonds
Classic
cars
500%
400%
300%
200%
100%
0%
Furniture WineStamps Art
-9%
-25%
-28%
4%
49%
68%
9%
46%
69%
2%
73%
167%
2%
35%
168%
3%
34%
195%
13%
92%
232%
7%
38%
234%
15%
61%
252%
16%
140%
487%
The 10-year performance of the Knight Frank Luxury Investment Index
50%
0%
100%
150%
200%
250%
350%
300%
Dec 04 Dec 06 Aug 07 Apr 08 Dec 08 Aug 09 Apr 10 Dec 10 Aug 11 Apr 12 Dec 12 Aug 13 Apr 14 Dec 14Aug 05 Apr 06
10yrs:205%
5yrs:62%
1yr:10%
Watches Chinese
ceramics
Jewellery
luxury spending the wealth report 20156362
Source: Fancy Color Research Foundation
There is nothing quite like holding a
30-carat D-flawless diamond in the palm
of your hand. This tiny thing could assure
the financial security of a couple of genera-
tions of an entire family.
Robust returns on diamonds of more
than one carat, mounting demand from
Asia and the prospect of mines running
dry are pointing to the increased attrac-
tiveness of precious natural diamonds as
an investment asset. Global diamond sup-
ply is expected to plateau by 2020 and drop
off significantly in the following decade,
according to mining giant De Beers.
“Since 2009 the price of polished dia-
monds measuring one carat or more has
risen 5%,” says Ari Epstein, CEO of Antwerp
World Diamond Centre.
Bruce Cleaver, Executive Head of Stra-
tegy at De Beers, now anticipates a rise in
diamond prices. “With growth in diamond
demand expected to outstrip growth in
supply, there are different possible out-
comes, but we believe higher diamond
prices would account for a significant
amount of the gap,” he says.
The concept of diamonds as a store of
wealth is not new. Diamonds are arguably
Overall, fancy pink, yellow and blue
diamonds have increased in value by 167%
since 2005, according to the new index.
Individuals looking to invest in dia-
monds can buy stones from diamond trad-
ers and pay for storage and insurance, or
buy shares in diamond companies. The
Singapore Diamond Investment Exchange
and Los Angeles-based Investment Dia-
mond Exchange partner with banks offer-
ing private clients purchasing, valuation
and certification services.
Asset management firms including
Diamond Capital Fund sell shares in stores
of physical diamonds. Sciens Colored
Diamond Fund, owned by UHNWI John
Rigas, invests in red, pink, blue, green, or-
ange and yellow diamonds sourced from
mines for individuals and institutions.
“Since the 1950s the price of the dia-
monds we invest in has never dropped,”
says Mahyar Makhzani, Co-Managing Di-
rector at Sciens Colored Diamond Fund.
Investing in diamonds poses chal-
lenges. Unlike gold, diamonds are not fun-
gible – one carat is not equal to another
carat. Although the internet has brought
about increased pricing transparency,
there is no standardised pricing index that
the most transportable form of wealth
in existence.
While diamond aficionados may be
madly in love with the stones they buy,
they also regard them as a means to in-
creased wealth. In 2006 billionaire jewel-
ler Laurence Graff bought the 78.1-carat
Maharajah diamond. It had not been seen
in 50 years because it had been in a bank
vault. “The translucency, the life in that
stone, is beyond anything I have ever
seen,” Mr Graff said at the time. The next
day, he sold it for an undisclosed profit.
Fancy colour diamonds (a technical
term in the industry for stones of excep-
tional colour), which are far rarer than
white diamonds, are performing particu-
larly strongly. The 9.75-carat Mellon Blue
set a new world auction record for the carat
price of a blue diamond when it made
$32.6m at Sotheby’s New York in Novem-
ber 2014.
Most sales, however, do not take place
at auction, so tracking the change in price
has been difficult. But a new index created
by The Fancy Color Research Foundation,
which records deals at all stages of the
chain, offers more transparency.
Multifaceted
investment opportunity
To coincide with the introduction of
coloured diamonds into the Knight
Frank Luxury Investment Index,
industry expert Claire Adler
explores the growing appeal of
diamonds as an investment of passion
The concept of diamonds as a store of
wealth is not new. Diamonds are arguably the
most transportable form of wealth in existence
classifies the many thousands of different
qualities of diamonds, which incorporate a
spectrum well beyond the traditional four
Cs of cut, carat, colour and clarity, while
also offering easy access to individuals be-
yond the diamond industry.
Monaco-based diamond expert Ehud
Arye Laniado believes increased trans-
parency will prove transformative. “A
fully transparent pricing system will un-
lock an opportunity for savvy consumers
to view diamonds as a store of wealth in
ways not yet possible, ushering in a new
era in which informed buyers will be able
to make confident purchasing decisions,”
says Mr Laniado, the principal of Mercury
Diamond, which advised Cora Interna-
tional, a New York jeweller specialising in
rare diamonds, on acquiring the 29.6-carat
Blue Moon for $25.6 million.
London-based, Russian-born jewellery
designer Yana Zaikin, founder of Emily H
London, has noticed her UHNWI clients
increasingly hedging their bets on top-
quality diamonds, while adorning them-
selves in the meantime.
“Five years ago my clients preferred
investing in gold rather than wear-
able diamond jewels,” says Mrs Zaikin.
“With currency fluctuations, they’re now
diversifying with diamonds. Some keep
jewels in the safe, but most wear them.
One bought three identical brilliant stones
for three rings, which they keep in each of
their homes, in Palm Beach, London and
New York.”
Sparkling coloured
diamond buys
A pair of pear-shaped yellow
diamond ear pendants (52.88
and 51.46 carats) sold for dou-
ble their presale estimate at
$5.4m at Christie’s New York
in December 2014
The oval fancy light pink Gol-
conda diamond (21.3 carats)
sold for $4.3m at Christie’s
New York sale of Magnificent
Jewels in December 2014
The Mellon Blue Diamond
(9.75 carats) set a new
world auction record for
the carat price of a blue
diamond, fetching $32.6m
at Sotheby’s New York in
November 2014
The Winston Blue (13.22 car-
ats) was sold to Harry Win-
ston for 21.4m Swiss francs in
May 2014
The Graff Pink (24.78 carats)
achieved $46.2m at Sotheby’s
Geneva in November 2010,
the auction record for any
diamond or jewel
The Graff Vivid Yellow (100.9
carats) marked a world auction
record for a yellow diamond
when it sold for $16.3m at
Sotheby’s Geneva in May 2014
The Blue Moon (29.6 carats)
was acquired by Cora Inter-
national LLC for $25.6m from
Petra Diamonds in February
2014
The blue diamond Bulgari
Trombino ring (5.30 carats)
fetched £6.2m at Bonhams
in April 2013
65
The Graff Vivid Yellow, ©Sotheby’s
167%
Overall price change
The Fancy Color Diamond Price Index
(Jan 2005 to Oct 2014)
56%
161%
360%
Yellow
Blue
Pink
luxury spending the wealth report 20156564
6766 the wealth report 2015databank
By its very nature, a printed publication
such as The Wealth Report can only hope
to describe and analyse trends in any de-
tail at a fairly broad macro level. However,
over the following pages we have included
two highly granular datasets that provide
a huge amount of information for those
interested in global wealth distribution
and the results of the report’s annual
Attitudes Survey.
The numbers
behind the trends
Comprehensive wealth distribution data
and regional Attitudes Survey results
The wealth distribution data, provided
by WealthInsight, includes historic, cur-
rent and 10-year predictions for UHNWI,
centa-millionaire and billionaire popula-
tions in almost 100 countries. Regional
millionaire population data is included,
but is also available on request at a coun-
try level. City wealth numbers for over 100
locations can also be requested.
In terms of the 2015 Attitudes Survey
(pp8–15), we have included the results
at a regional level for the majority of the
survey’s findings, but further data for
selected countries is also available for
those wanting to delve deeper. To take
part in next year’s survey please contact:
Edward.Parry-Jones@KnightFrank.com
Regional wealth distribution
Region 2004 2013 2014 2024
2004-
2014
2013-
2014
2014-
2024
Africa 76,385 164,000 168,815 257,519 121% 3% 53%
Asia 2,718,770 4,933,277 5,094,277 7,373,427 87% 3% 45%
Australasia 144,252 350,500 357,006 440,015 147% 2% 23%
Europe 3,714,946 5,015,797 5,152,132 6,298,363 39% 3% 22%
Russia/CIS 47,714 195,226 197,625 293,390 314% 1% 48%
Latin America 240,017 580,700 593,560 866,146 147% 2% 46%
Middle East 204,944 426,100 438,583 605,438 114% 3% 38%
North America 4,370,348 5,653,100 5,806,833 7,128,478 33% 3% 23%
World 11,517,376 17,318,700 17,808,831 23,262,776 55% 3% 31%
Millionaire populations
UHNWI (+US$30m) populations
Region 2004 2013 2014 2024
2004-
2014
2013-
2014
2014-
2024
Africa 824 1,868 1,932 3,074 135% 3% 59%
Asia 22,335 40,853 42,272 62,399 89% 3% 48%
Australasia 1,594 3,828 3,920 4,834 146% 2% 23%
Europe 42,409 58,731 60,565 75,945 43% 3% 25%
Russia/CIS 481 2,034 2,068 3,327 330% 2% 61%
Latin America 3,798 9,677 9,902 14,837 161% 2% 50%
Middle East 3,296 7,052 7,269 10,198 121% 3% 40%
North America 32,778 43,626 44,922 56,159 37% 3% 25%
World 107,515 167,669 172,850 230,773 61% 3% 34%
Centa-millionaire populations
Region 2004 2013 2014 2024
2004-
2014
2013-
2014
2014-
2024
Africa 229 509 524 815 129% 3% 56%
Asia 4,149 8,744 9,094 14,263 119% 4% 57%
Australasia 294 727 744 924 153% 2% 24%
Europe 8,006 10,917 11,261 14,027 41% 3% 25%
Russia/CIS 216 915 926 1,447 329% 1% 56%
Latin America 590 1,625 1,663 2,549 182% 2% 53%
Middle East 705 1,508 1,550 2,167 120% 3% 40%
North America 9,289 12,159 12,518 15,597 35% 3% 25%
World 23,478 37,103 38,280 51,789 63% 3% 35%
Billionaire populations
Region 2004 2013 2014 2024
2004-
2014
2013-
2014
2014-
2024
Africa 11 30 30 48 172.7% 0% 60%
Asia 194 472 492 834 153.6% 4% 70%
Australasia 13 33 33 41 153.8% 0% 24%
Europe 268 383 393 490 46.6% 3% 25%
Russia/CIS 31 135 136 203 338.7% 1% 49%
Latin America 39 103 105 159 169.2% 2% 51%
Middle East 46 98 102 138 121.7% 4% 35%
North America 412 537 553 685 34.2% 3% 24%
World 1,014 1,791 1,844 2,598 81.9% 3% 41%
*Africa includes Egypt
*Europe excludes Russia and CIS countries
*Middle East includes Turkey
*Latin America includes the Caribbean and Mexico
% change
% change
% change
% change
Global wealth distribution
Country Region 2004 2013 2014 2024
2004-
2014
2013-
2014
2014-
2024 2004 2013 2014 2024
2004-
2014
2013-
2014
2014-
2024 2004 2013 2014 2024
2004-
2014
2013-
2014
2014-
2024
Algeria Africa 14 35 36 51 157% 3% 42% 2 4 4 6 100% 0% 50% - 1 1 1 - 0% 0%
Angola Africa 12 70 72 112 500% 3% 56% 3 17 17 26 467% 0% 53% - 1 1 2 - 0% 100%
Argentina Latin America 139 483 480 944 245% -1% 97% 37 128 127 248 243% -1% 95% 2 7 7 13 250.0% 0% 86%
Australia Australasia 1,001 2,740 2,785 3,553 178% 2% 28% 216 585 595 756 175% 2% 27% 11 30 30 38 172.7% 0% 27%
Austria Europe 953 1,429 1,460 1,874 53% 2% 28% 129 193 197 252 53% 2% 28% 6 9 9 11 50.0% 0% 22%
Azerbaijan Russia / CIS 19 62 64 107 237% 3% 67% 2 6 6 10 200% 0% 67% 1 - - - - - -
Bahrain Middle East 69 124 126 161 83% 2% 28% 7 12 12 15 71% 0% 25% - - - - - - -
Bangladesh Asia 38 75 78 113 105% 4% 45% 4 8 8 12 100% 0% 50% - - - - - - -
Belgium Europe 955 1,370 1,402 1,771 47% 2% 26% 117 167 171 215 46% 2% 26% 1 1 1 1 0.0% 0% 0%
Botswana Africa 12 20 20 26 67% 0% 30% 1 2 2 3 100% 0% 50%- - - -
Brazil Latin America 1,146 4,122 4,218 6,278 268% 2% 49% 170 602 616 911 262% 2% 48% 12 43 44 65 266.7% 2% 48%
Bulgaria Europe 16 42 43 69 169% 2% 60% 2 4 4 6 100% 0% 50% - - - - - - -
Cambodia Asia 20 52 54 84 170% 4% 56% 6 15 16 25 167% 7% 56% - - - - - - -
Canada North America 2,275 4,248 4,341 5,392 91% 2% 24% 381 705 720 891 89% 2% 24% 20 37 38 47 90.0% 3% 24%
Chile Latin America 219 664 687 1,122 214% 3% 63% 76 226 234 379 208% 4% 62% 5 15 16 26 220.0% 7% 63%
China Asia 1,721 7,905 8,366 15,681 386% 6% 87% 582 2,639 2,790 5,185 379% 6% 86% 39 174 184 338 371.8% 6% 84%
Colombia Latin America 131 435 446 606 240% 3% 36% 23 74 76 103 230% 3% 36% 1 2 2 3 100.0% 0% 50%
Croatia Europe 130 220 221 303 70% 0% 37% 13 22 22 30 69% 0% 36% - - - - - - -
Cyprus Europe 128 182 181 228 41% -1% 26% 27 38 38 48 41% 0% 26% 1 1 1 1 0.0% 0% 0%
Czech Republic Europe 200 391 399 548 100% 2% 37% 41 79 81 111 98% 3% 37% 2 4 4 5 100.0% 0% 25%
Denmark Europe 709 981 1,019 1,288 44% 4% 26% 115 158 164 207 43% 4% 26% 4 6 6 8 50.0% 0% 33%
Egypt Africa 101 270 276 387 173% 2% 40% 37 97 99 138 168% 2% 39% 3 7 7 10 133.3% 0% 43%
Estonia Europe 16 36 37 60 131% 3% 62% 2 4 4 6 100% 0% 50% - - - - - - -
Ethiopia Africa 9 35 36 72 300% 3% 100% 1 4 4 8 300% 0% 100% - - - - - - -
Finland Europe 288 416 426 544 48% 2% 28% 36 52 53 67 47% 2% 26% 1 1 1 1 0.0% 0% 0%
France Europe 2,774 3,800 3,865 4,424 39% 2% 14% 431 588 598 683 39% 2% 14% 28 38 39 44 39.3% 3% 13%
Germany Europe 8,126 11,392 11,679 14,481 44% 3% 24% 1,813 2,529 2,591 3,201 43% 2% 24% 49 68 70 86 42.9% 3% 23%
Ghana Africa 7 30 31 62 343% 3% 100% 1 3 3 6 200% 0% 100% - - - - - - -
Greece Europe 573 721 717 907 25% -1% 26% 74 92 92 116 24% 0% 26% 2 3 3 4 50.0% 0% 33%
Hong Kong Asia 1,706 2,560 2,690 3,941 58% 5% 47% 404 603 633 922 57% 5% 46% 34 51 53 77 55.9% 4% 45%
India Asia 622 1,576 1,652 3,371 166% 5% 104% 153 383 401 811 162% 5% 102% 26 65 68 136 161.5% 5% 100%
Indonesia Asia 195 626 650 1,507 233% 4% 132% 58 185 192 441 231% 4% 130% 7 23 24 54 242.9% 4% 125%
Iran Middle East 68 217 229 403 237% 6% 76% 7 22 23 40 229% 5% 74% - - - - - - -
Iraq Middle East 45 130 133 229 196% 2% 72% 4 13 13 22 225% 0% 69% - - - - - - -
Ireland Europe 714 811 825 983 16% 2% 19% 107 121 123 146 15% 2% 19% 3 3 3 4 0.0% 0% 33%
Israel Middle East 800 1,437 1,485 1,880 86% 3% 27% 110 197 203 256 85% 3% 26% 9 16 17 21 88.9% 6% 24%
Italy Europe 2,936 3,650 3,717 4,468 27% 2% 20% 481 595 606 726 26% 2% 20% 21 26 26 31 23.8% 0% 19%
Ivory Coast Africa 16 25 26 57 63% 4% 119% 2 3 3 6 50% 0% 100% - - - - - - -
Japan Asia 12,186 16,450 16,703 19,916 37% 2% 19% 1,425 1,915 1,944 2,311 36% 2% 19% 19 26 26 31 36.8% 0% 19%
Jordan Middle East 38 94 96 140 153% 2% 46% 8 19 19 28 138% 0% 47% - - - - - - -
Kazakhstan Russia / CIS 33 179 190 407 476% 6% 114% 11 58 61 129 455% 5% 111% 1 7 7 15 600.0% 0% 114%
Kenya Africa 56 110 115 209 105% 5% 82% 16 31 32 58 100% 3% 81% - 1 1 2 - 0% 100%
Kuwait Middle East 203 515 513 760 153% 0% 48% 45 112 112 165 149% 0% 47% 2 6 6 9 200.0% 0% 50%
Latvia Europe 28 68 69 125 146% 1% 81% 3 7 7 13 133% 0% 86% - - - - - - -
Lebanon Middle East 167 306 308 407 84% 1% 32% 45 81 82 108 82% 1% 32% 2 3 3 4 50.0% 0% 33%
Libya Africa 16 45 42 66 163% -7% 57% 2 5 5 8 150% 0% 60% - - - - - - -
Lithuania Europe 39 83 86 155 121% 4% 80% 4 8 8 14 100% 0% 75% 0 1 1 2 - 0% 100%
Luxembourg Europe 354 580 599 803 69% 3% 34% 97 158 163 218 68% 3% 34% 1 1 1 1 0.0% 0% 0%
Malaysia Asia 242 557 572 814 136% 3% 42% 90 206 211 299 134% 2% 42% 6 14 14 20 133.3% 0% 43%
Mexico Latin America 1,687 2,540 2,596 3,526 54% 2% 36% 168 252 257 347 53% 2% 35% 14 21 21 28 50.0% 0% 33%
Monaco Europe 129 198 217 426 68% 10% 96% 13 20 22 43 69% 10% 95% 2 11 12 23 500.0% 9% 92%
Mongolia Asia 8 45 48 101 500% 7% 110% 1 5 5 10 400% 0% 100% - - - - - - -
Morocco Africa 23 40 41 64 78% 3% 56% 20 34 35 54 75% 3% 54% 2 4 4 6 100.0% 0% 50%
Mozambique Africa 4 10 10 19 150% 0% 90% 0 1 1 2 - 0% 100% - - - - - - -
Myanmar Asia 14 40 42 85 200% 5% 102% 1 4 4 8 300% 0% 100% - - - - - - -
Namibia Africa 7 16 17 23 143% 6% 35% 1 2 2 3 100% 0% 50% - - - - - - -
Netherlands Europe 2,020 2,735 2,826 3,531 40% 3% 25% 300 404 417 519 39% 3% 24% 3 4 4 5 33.3% 0% 25%
New Zealand Australasia 577 1,050 1,094 1,229 90% 4% 12% 75 135 141 158 88% 4% 12% 2 3 3 3 50.0% 0% 0%
Nigeria Africa 63 200 210 399 233% 5% 90% 19 60 63 119 232% 5% 89% 2 7 7 13 250.0% 0% 86%
Norway Europe 1,238 2,425 2,521 3,501 104% 4% 39% 167 323 336 464 101% 4% 38% 5 9 9 12 80.0% 0% 33%
Oman Middle East 51 135 137 195 169% 1% 42% 5 14 14 20 180% 0% 43% - 1 1 1 - 0% 0%
Pakistan Asia 112 260 267 400 138% 3% 50% 11 26 27 40 145% 4% 48% - - - - - - -
Panama Latin America 41 98 103 154 151% 5% 50% 4 10 11 16 175% 10% 45% - - - - - - -
Paraguay Latin America 49 159 165 267 237% 4% 62% 5 16 17 27 240% 6% 59% - - - - - - -
Peru Latin America 96 276 283 451 195% 3% 59% 38 108 111 176 192% 3% 59% 3 9 9 14 200.0% 0% 56%
Philippines Asia 68 171 177 295 160% 4% 67% 59 147 152 252 158% 3% 66% 6 15 16 26 166.7% 7% 63%
Poland Europe 222 487 503 683 127% 3% 36% 33 71 73 99 121% 3% 36% 2 5 5 7 150.0% 0% 40%
Portugal Europe 485 625 634 781 31% 1% 23% 80 103 104 128 30% 1% 23% 2 3 3 4 50.0% 0% 33%
Qatar Middle East 114 286 296 452 160% 4% 53% 24 59 61 93 154% 3% 52% - 1 1 2 - 0% 100%
Romania Europe 61 172 177 297 190% 3% 68% 17 47 48 80 182% 2% 67% 1 2 2 3 100.0% 0% 50%
Russia Russia / CIS 279 1,292 1,303 1,899 367% 1% 46% 139 634 639 926 360% 1% 45% 26 116 117 168 350.0% 1% 44%
Saudi Arabia Middle East 382 851 874 1,212 129% 3% 39% 156 345 354 488 127% 3% 38% 10 22 23 31 130.0% 5% 35%
Singapore Asia 1,471 3,154 3,227 4,979 119% 2% 54% 354 751 768 1,177 117% 2% 53% 11 23 24 36 118.2% 4% 50%
South Africa Africa 300 594 616 903 105% 4% 47% 86 168 174 254 102% 4% 46% 4 8 8 12 100.0% 0% 50%
South Korea Asia 946 1,565 1,622 2,184 71% 4% 35% 236 387 401 537 70% 4% 34% 17 27 28 37 64.7% 4% 32%
Spain Europe 2,556 3,475 3,538 4,392 38% 2% 24% 398 538 548 678 38% 2% 24% 16 22 22 27 37.5% 0% 23%
Sri Lanka Asia 21 61 63 103 200% 3% 63% 6 16 17 28 183% 6% 65% - - - - - - -
Sudan Africa 3 8 8 12 167% 0% 50% 0 1 1 1 - 0% 0% - - - - - - -
Sweden Europe 2,033 3,147 3,245 4,327 60% 3% 33% 263 405 417 553 59% 3% 33% 6 10 10 13 66.7% 0% 30%
Switzerland Europe 2,479 4,137 4,328 5,295 75% 5% 22% 479 793 829 1,011 73% 5% 22% 45 74 77 93 71.1% 4% 21%
Syria Middle East 85 203 211 321 148% 4% 52% 9 20 21 32 133% 5% 52% - - - - - - -
Taiwan Asia 933 1,503 1,570 2,148 68% 4% 37% 275 440 459 625 67% 4% 36% 22 35 36 49 63.6% 3% 36%
Tanzania Africa 40 75 78 156 95% 4% 100% 4 8 8 16 100% 0% 100% - - - - - - -
Thailand Asia 218 527 540 855 148% 2% 58% 85 203 208 327 145% 2% 57% 7 17 17 26 142.9% 0% 53%
Tunisia Africa 37 55 57 88 54% 4% 54% 4 6 6 9 50% 0% 50% - - - - - - -
Turkey Middle East 866 1,923 1,986 2,881 129% 3% 45% 214 471 486 701 127% 3% 44% 16 35 36 51 125.0% 3% 42%
UAE Middle East 317 625 658 856 108% 5% 30% 43 84 88 114 105% 5% 30% 7 13 14 18 100.0% 8% 29%
Uganda Africa 9 20 21 35 133% 5% 67% 5 12 12 20 140% 0% 67% - 1 1 2 - 0% 100%
UK Europe 8,431 10,149 10,547 13,176 25% 4% 25% 2,004 2,405 2,498 3,109 25% 4% 24% 65 78 81 100 24.6% 4% 23%
Ukraine Russia / CIS 93 339 343 592 269% 1% 73% 49 174 176 301 259% 1% 71% 3 12 12 20 300.0% 0% 67%
Uruguay Latin America 28 108 114 186 307% 6% 63% 3 11 12 19 300% 9% 58% - - - - - - -
USA North America 30,503 39,378 40,581 50,767 33% 3% 25% 8,908 11,454 11,798 14,706 32% 3% 25% 392 500 515 638 31.4% 3% 24%
Uzbekistan Russia / CIS 29 82 86 172 197% 5% 100% 3 8 8 16 167% 0% 100% - - - - - - -
Venezuela Latin America 47 200 192 413 309% -4% 115% 12 50 48 102 300% -4% 113% 1 3 3 6 200.0% 0% 100%
Vietnam Asia 35 110 116 300 231% 5% 159% 7 21 22 56 214% 5% 155% - 1 1 3 - 0% 200%
Zambia Africa 4 15 16 29 300% 7% 81% 1 2 2 4 100% 0% 100% - - - - - - -
Zimbabwe Africa 14 25 26 38 86% 4% 46% 2 3 3 4 50% 0% 33% - - - - - - -
UHNWI populations Centa-millionaire populations Billionaire populations% change % change % change
Source: WealthInsight
6968 the wealth report 2015databank
Africa Asia Australasia Europe Latin America Middle East North America Russia/CIS Global
Family/business succession issues 96% 72% 83% 86% 89% 92% 92% 100% 85%
Potential increase in wealth taxes 100% 78% 61% 90% 77% 58% 82% 75% 81%
Increased scrutiny of wealthy by government 82% 76% 44% 88% 85% 73% 75% 100% 80%
Cyber-crime and online privacy 78% 75% 69% 72% 65% 65% 92% 75% 76%
Political interference 86% 76% 35% 69% 76% 81% 55% 89% 68%
Health/environmental issues 54% 71% 60% 57% 75% 38% 82% 38% 66%
Crisis in Middle East 31% 35% 38% 48% 38% 96% 64% 29% 51%
Political situation in Russia/Ukraine 19% 34% 47% 52% 38% 38% 73% 100% 51%
China’s potential economic slowdown 30% 71% 67% 31% 37% 35% 64% 0% 49%
What percentage of your clients are concerned about the following issues regarding their wealth, business or lifestyle?
Africa Asia Australasia Europe Latin America Middle East North America Russia/CIS Global
Tax 57% 68% 56% 81% 83% 54% 91% 56% 77%
Quality of life/health 74% 79% 33% 65% 60% 71% 45% 100% 63%
Business reasons 43% 66% 51% 62% 53% 40% 36% 63% 54%
Education of children 71% 75% 24% 44% 49% 60% 27% 89% 49%
Security 93% 71% 19% 51% 60% 69% 9% 63% 47%
Political issues 86% 57% 9% 50% 43% 73% 0% 88% 40%
Lack of civil liberties 25% 38% 0% 11% 12% 28% 0% 57% 16%
Are the following factors reasons why your clients might want to move? (Percentage = respondents who said yes)
Africa Asia Australasia Europe Latin America Middle East North America Russia/CIS Global
Residential for investment 100% 84% 69% 82% 77% 85% 75% 100% 81%
Offices 63% 68% 29% 43% 57% 76% 70% 63% 59%
Retail/shops 43% 59% 15% 31% 48% 63% 55% 50% 47%
Hotels 22% 34% 21% 39% 28% 64% 33% 43% 37%
Infrastructure 30% 21% 46% 35% 40% 32% 56% 50% 37%
Agricultural 29% 27% 56% 43% 40% 8% 44% 50% 37%
Warehousing/industrial 54% 33% 51% 28% 36% 33% 30% 17% 31%
Are your clients becoming more interested in the following property investments? (Percentage = respondents who said yes)
Africa Asia Australasia Europe Latin America Middle East North America Russia/CIS Global
Ski property 0% 12% 17% 35% 26% 28% 64% 11% 34%
Vineyard 25% 27% 17% 26% 19% 4% 30% 38% 25%
Equestrian property 29% 12% 12% 17% 13% 28% 20% 13% 17%
Are your clients becoming more interested in the following types of homes? (Percentage = respondents who said yes)
Africa Asia Australasia Europe Latin America Middle East North America Russia/CIS Global
Remained the same 64% 67% 70% 57% 66% 38% 40% 63% 55%
Increased 29% 22% 15% 36% 28% 62% 50% 25% 37%
Decreased 7% 11% 15% 7% 6% 0% 10% 13% 8%
How did that allocation change in 2014?
Africa Asia Australasia Europe Latin America Middle East North America Russia/CIS Global
Remain the same 57% 53% 80% 61% 53% 46% 45% 78% 54%
Increase 32% 27% 9% 33% 39% 46% 45% 11% 35%
Decrease 11% 20% 11% 6% 8% 8% 9% 11% 10%
How do you think it will change in 2015?
Africa Asia Australasia Europe Latin America Middle East North America Russia/CIS Global
Decrease 4% 5% 6% 2% 2% 0% 0% 22% 2%
Increase 36% 22% 17% 17% 29% 31% 25% 33% 22%
Remain the same 61% 73% 77% 81% 69% 69% 75% 44% 75%
How do you expect your clients’ philanthropic activities to change in 2015 compared with 2014?
Africa Asia Australasia Europe Latin America Middle East North America Russia/CIS Global
Decrease 4% 16% 3% 9% 6% 4% 0% 22% 8%
Increase 39% 31% 14% 24% 35% 40% 33% 22% 30%
Remain the same 57% 53% 83% 66% 59% 56% 67% 56% 62%
How do you expect your clients’ spending on luxury goods to change in 2015 compared with 2014?
Africa Asia Australasia Europe Latin America Middle East North America Russia/CIS Global
Less 25% 13% 9% 10% 7% 0% 8% 0% 9%
More 64% 61% 77% 74% 75% 84% 50% 89% 66%
The same 11% 26% 14% 17% 19% 16% 42% 11% 25%
Do your younger clients spend more on luxury goods than their parents’ generation?
Africa Asia Australasia Europe Latin America Middle East North America Russia/CIS Global
Yes 36% 39% 22% 34% 46% 31% 75% 11% 45%
No 64% 61% 78% 66% 54% 69% 25% 89% 55%
Are your younger clients more philanthropic than their parents’ generation?
Africa Asia Australasia Europe Latin America Middle East North America Russia/CIS Global
Yes 18% 38% 18% 27% 22% 31% 25% 33% 29%
No 82% 62% 82% 73% 78% 69% 75% 67% 71%
Are your clients increasingly using private jets for their business and leisure travel?
Africa Asia Australasia Europe Latin America Middle East North America Russia/CIS Global
11% 12% 4% 14% 15% 10% 7% 33% 12%
What percentage of your clients do you think are considering permanently changing their domicile or country of residence?
Africa Asia Australasia Europe Latin America Middle East North America Russia/CIS Global
Average 31% 38% 42% 33% 26% 40% 24% 27% 32%
On average, what percentage of your clients’ investment portfolios is allocated to property?
Africa Asia Australasia Europe Latin America Middle East North America Russia/CIS Global
Secondary school 19% 38% 4% 19% 35% 36% 23% 61% 27%
University 40% 62% 14% 34% 58% 70% 41% 70% 47%
What percentage of your clients send, or are likely to send, their children overseas for their education?
Africa Asia Australasia Europe Latin America Middle East North America Russia/CIS Global
Yes 32% 67% 13% 32% 44% 65% 27% 67% 42%
No 68% 33% 87% 68% 56% 35% 73% 33% 58%
Are your clients sending their children overseas for their education at a younger age?
Attitudes Survey 2015
Wealth and lifestyle trends Africa Asia Australasia Europe Latin America Middle East North America Russia/CIS Global
23% 22% 15% 24% 28% 36% 31% 21% 26%
What percentage of your clients do you think are considering purchasing another home in the next 12 months?
Africa Asia Australasia Europe Latin America Middle East North America Russia/CIS Global
2.5 3.3 2.3 2.6 3.0 3.8 2.9 3.0 2.9
On average, how many homes do your clients own?
Africa Asia Australasia Europe Latin America Middle East North America Russia/CIS Global
21% 28% 29% 23% 20% 27% 19% 23% 23%
On average,what percentage of your clients’total net worth is accounted for by their main residence and any second homes that are held not purely as an investment?
Prime residential property
Property Investments
Due to rounding, some columns may not add to 100
Luxury spending trends regional data available on request
Africa Asia Australasia Europe Latin America Middle East North America Russia/CIS Global
Abroad 39% 38% 6% 45% 57% 77% 27% 89% 42%
In their own country 61% 63% 94% 55% 44% 23% 73% 11% 58%
Where are your clients most likely to invest in property?
Africa Asia Australasia Europe Latin America Middle East North America Russia/CIS Global
Yes 43% 43% 25% 44% 46% 44% 50% 44% 45%
No 57% 57% 75% 56% 54% 56% 50% 56% 55%
Are your younger clients more interested in property as an investment than their parents’ generation?
Housing affordability
is moving up the
investment agenda
Final word
Liam Bailey
Global Head of Research
LIAM.BAILEY@knightfrank.com
+44 20 7861 5133
One of the biggest trends we are monitoring across
pretty much all the markets we focus on is the
ongoing globalisation of demand for property. The
biggest counter-trend I see at play is protectionism
(pp38–39).
Compared with other capital flows, money moving
into residential property often attracts controversy.
New demand is accused of hiking prices, as well as
creating market access and affordability issues for
local residents.
The counterargument, that new investment flows
lead to new supply in precisely the places where
demand is highest, appears to be falling on deaf ears.
As a result, taxes on expensive homes and property
investments are being extended.
This renewed focus on the impact of wealth on
world property markets is to some extent misplaced.
Not because affordability and accessibility issues are
overstated, but rather because, by focusing solely on
demand, the arguments are too narrowly drawn.
Access to high-quality, truly affordable housing
is set to be a dominant political theme globally for
the next decade. As The Economist magazine noted
earlier this year, 60 million rich-world households
spend more than 30% of their income on housing; in
the emerging world 200 million households live in
slums. With rapid urbanisation, these numbers will
only grow.
Opportunities for investors in this area are
enormous. Innovations in housing design, funding,
land assembly and construction are developing
rapidly. And this is an area where the flow of ideas
and experience is moving both ways, between
developed and emerging economies.
We are already working with a number of develop-
ers who are assessing every stage of the development
process to see how they can design and deliver better
homes, more cheaply and more rapidly.
In my view, this area will become an increasingly
dominant area of focus for our clients. As challenges
and opportunities come, they don’t get much bigger,
or more important.
Please contact me if you would like to discuss this
or any of the issues raised in this year’s report.
Disclaimer
The Wealth Report (© Knight Frank
LLP 2015) is produced for general
interest only; it is not definitive
and is not intended to give advice.
It must not be relied upon in any
way. Although high standards have
been used in the preparation of the
information, analysis and views
presented in The Wealth Report,
no responsibility or liability what-
soever can be accepted by Knight
Frank for the contents. We make
no express or implied warranty or
guarantee of the accuracy of any of
the contents. As far as applicable
laws allow, we do not accept re-
sponsibility for errors, inaccuracies
or omissions, nor for loss or damage
that may result directly or indi-
rectly from reliance on or use of its
contents. The Wealth Report does
not necessarily reflect the view of
Knight Frank in any respect. Read-
ers should not take or omit to take
any action as a result of information
in The Wealth Report.
Reproduction of this report in
whole or in part is not permitted
without the prior written approval
of Knight Frank LLP. In preparing
The Wealth Report, Knight Frank
does not imply or establish any
client, advisory, financial or profes-
sional relationship. Through The
Wealth Report, neither Knight Frank
nor any other person is providing
advisory, financial or other servic-
es. In particular, Knight Frank LLP
is not authorised by the Financial
Services Authority to undertake
regulated activities (other than
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activity in connection with prop-
erty management).
Knight Frank LLP also trades as
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tered in England with registered
number OC305934. Our registered
office is 55 Baker Street, London,
W1U 8AN, where you may look at a
list of members’ names.
The Wealth Report is compiled
from information contributed by
various sources including Knight
Frank LLP, its direct UK subsidiar-
ies and a network of separate and
independent overseas entities or
practices offering property ser-
vices. Together these are generally
known as “the Knight Frank global
network”. Each entity or practice in
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a distinct and separate legal entity.
Its ownership and management is
distinct from that of any other en-
tity or practice, whether operating
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In any event, no entity or
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Frank LLP). Where applicable, refer-
ences to Knight Frank include the
Knight Frank global network.
Residential Property Enquiries
Paddy Dring
+44 20 7861 1061
Paddy.Dring@KnightFrank.com
Commercial Property Enquiries
Deborah Watt
+44 20 7861 1678
Deborah.Watt@KnightFrank.com

Wealth report (Relatório sobre o Mercado de Luxo) 2015-2016

  • 1.
    2015 The Wealth Report The global perspectiveon prime property and wealth TheWealthReport 2015 www.knightfrank.com/wealthreport
  • 2.
    3 the wealthreport 20153 Welcome to the 2015 edition of The Wealth Report the wealth report 2015 Andrew Hay Global Head of Residential [email protected] +44 20 7861 1071 It is clear that 2015 will be a remarkable year in terms of political and economic fluctuations, making it harder than ever to predict investor sentiment and the resulting wealth flows. We are fortunate in being able to draw not only on a network of over 350 offices, but also the views of thousands of active clients and investors, together with the expertise of our agency and consultancy teams, including those advising on alternative property sectors, such as healthcare, agriculture and student housing. I am delighted that in this edition of The Wealth Report we share the first-hand investment perspec- tives and experiences of Massimo Ferragamo and Goodwin Gaw. In addition, the report also features the latest research from leading wealth analysts and commentators. Through our partnership with WealthInsight, for example, we can offer an analysis of wealth distribution trends covering almost 100 countries and over 100 cities. Contributions from NetJets, Fragomen and Ledbury Research allow us to focus on the critical issues of global travel and connec- tivity, wealth migration and luxury spending trends. Our Attitudes Survey adds depth to our analysis by delving deep into the views of the wealthy regard- ing investment risks and opportunities. Our coverage of the world’s premier luxury residential markets has been expanded to include 100 cities and second- home destinations. And our focus on investment opportunities covers the world. The scope and the ambition of the report is reflected by Knight Frank’s growth. In the last year we have formed a strategic residential relationship with Douglas Elliman covering New York and the key luxury home hotspots in the US. We have also established new offices in Chamonix, Provence, San Remo, Venice, Sardinia, Marbella and Taipei, as well as opening five new offices in the UK. The reach and influence of The Wealth Report continues to grow. We hope you find our latest find- ings and forecasts both informative and inspiring. If we can provide you with further research or advice we are of course happy to help and look forward to hearing from you. The Wealth Report 2015 Commissioned by Andrew Hay Written by Knight Frank Research Designed by WINKREATIVE Printed by PUREPRINT Knight Frank Editor Andrew Shirley Global Head of Research liam Bailey Marketing & PR Bronya heaver Winkreative Creative Director Maurus fraser Art Director LESLIE KWOK Designer MATT Le gallez Art Buyer Rhiannon nicol Account Manager Emilie aagreen Photography Portraits of Andrew Hay and Liam Bailey taken by John Wright at The Corinthia Residences, Whitehall, London, courtesy of Simon Naudi Illustration Lyndon Hayes Michael Kirkham Joël Penkman Jim Spencer Definitions UHNWI Throughout this report, we use UHNWI as an abbreviation for ultra-high-net-worth individual. Unless otherwise stated, an UHNWI is defined as someone with a net worth of over US$30m. PRIME PROPERTY The most desirable and most expensive property in a given location, generally defined as the top 5% of each market by value. Prime markets often have a significant international bias in terms of buyer profile.
  • 3.
    54 the wealthreport 2015 P38 Growing wealth creation has led to an increas- ing number of buyers from an ever-widening list of countries purchasing property in a growing number of global hubs For me the slump in oil prices that started in 2014 is a game changer for the economy, and also for property investment P48 contents P28 P49 P63 06 World in numbers Highlights from the key research findings of the 2015 edition of The Wealth Report, including Attitudes Survey, PIRI, Global Cities Survey and wealth distribution data 08 Attitudes Survey Wealth worries 81% of advisors say their clients are worried about tax hikes — P10 NO place like home Just over 25% of UHNWIs are considering buying a new home in 2015 — P12 16 Global wealth distribution Wealth rise The total number of UHNWIs rose by almost 5,200, or 3%, in 2014. Their population is set to grow a further 34% by 2024 — P18 African surge The Ivory Coast will see Africa’s largest 10-year increase in UHNWI numbers with forecast growth of 119% — P21 26 Global cities london calling The UK’s capital city holds off New York to take the top spot in our 2015 Global Cities Survey — P28 where the rich live A graphical representation of UHNWI wealth population data for over 100 cities across the world — P30 34 PIRI 2015 The Big Apple shines New York tops our PIRI 100 index with prime residential price growth of almost 19% in 2014. Overall, the index rose by just over 2% — P37 Room with a view Monaco once again tops our list of the world’s most expensive prime residential property. US$1m will buy you just 17 sq m of home there, compared with 204 sq m in Cape Town — P39 46 Property investment Tangible assets prosper The total amount of money invested into commercial property rose to around $619bn in 2014. Private inves- tors accounted for $153bn of that — P49 ten to watch Knight Frank experts highlight 10 trends and sectors UHNWI investors should be aware of — PP52–55 58 Luxury spending trends Rule Britannia The UK tops our new Big Spenders Index, followed by China and Qatar — P60 Vroom, vroom Classic cars are still the top performers in our Luxury Investment Index, rising in value by 16% in 2014 — P62 66 Databank Wealth distribution data in detail — P66 Attitudes Survey responses by region — P68 70 Final word Liam Bailey, Knight Frank’s Global Head of Research, highlights the implications of The Wealth Report’s latest findings for UHNWIs and their advisors P41 P12 P20 Contributors and interviewees Liam Bailey Global Head of Research, Knight Frank Foremost prime property expert Andrew Shirley the Wealth Report Editor, Knight Frank Luxury investments commentator GrÁinne Gilmore Head of UK Residential Research, Knight Frank Former economics correspondent, The Times James Roberts Chief Economist, Knight Frank Leading commercial property expert Madelaine Ollivier Analyst, Ledbury Research Luxury goods commentator and researcher Claire Adler Luxury jewellery consultant Writer, PR advisor, speaker Massimo Ferragamo Chairman, Ferragamo USA Scion of leading fashion dynasty Goodwin Gaw Chairman, Gaw Capital One of Asia’s leading property investors Kate Everett-Allen Head of International Residential Research, Knight Frank Authority on international residential markets Dr Pippa Malmgren Founder, DRPM Group Economist and former US presidential advisor
  • 4.
    76 the wealthreport 2015world in nUmBerS Piri 18.8% the largest prime residential price rise, seen by new york global cities 01 london’s ranking in our 2015 global cities survey Piri 17.3 sq m the area of prime property Us$1m will buy in monaco Attitudes 61% of russian UHnwis are sending their children overseas for their secondary education global cities 03 Hong Kong’s ranking in our 2015 global cities survey – the top Asian location global wealth 50,767 the number of Us UHnwis predicted in 2024 Attitudes 15% of latin American UHnwis are thinking of changing their country of residence Piri -15% the greatest drop in prime residential prices, seen by Buenos Aires Highs and lows: key statistics from The Wealth Report 2015 The Wealth Report contains a huge amount of data, not only from knight frank’s own research teams, but also from leading industry analysts and commentators. the map below includes a worldwide snapshot of the numbers drawn from our piri 100 index; the wealth distribution data supplied by wealthinsight; the results of our global cities Survey and the findings of our unique annual attitudes Survey. Attitudes global wealth $0.2tn the total wealth held by African UHnwis in 2014 Property 1.8msqft the area of First-world shopping malls set to open in nairobi in 2015 52% the proportion of UHnwis from the UAe who are considering buying a new home in 2015 global wealth 1,752 the growth in singapore’s UHnwi population, 2014 to 2024 Property 42% of Australasian UHnwi investment portfolios are allocated to property global trends $20.8tn the total wealth held by UHnwis 172,850 the total number of UHnwis worldwide 3% increase in the number of UHnwis 2013 to 2014 $153bn the estimated commercial property investment by private individuals 82% %ofwealthadvisors reportingthenetworth oftheirUHnwi clientsincreased
  • 5.
    attitudes survey thewealth report 201598attitudes survey 8 A global guide to UHNWI wealth, attitudes and investments The Wealth Report Attitudes Survey The world is becoming increasingly preoc- cupied by the lives of the rich and famous; the more sensational the detail the better. fuelling this trend is the growing omnipotence of an internet that streams a non-stop flow of gossip and photographs, authorised or not. Some of the super-rich, those whose wealth derives from their celebrity status, actively encourage it, but for most the intrusion is unwelcome. No wonder then that the distinctly un-voyeuristic results of our own annual survey of the attitudes of the wealthy, discussed over the following pages, reveal that ultra-high-net-worth individuals are becoming increasingly concerned about the power of the web in terms of online privacy and cyber-crime. Interestingly, however, given a potential economic slowdown in china and continued political and economic uncertainty in many parts of the world, it is family and business succession issues followed by a possible hike in wealth taxes that are the biggest concerns for UHNWIs, according to the wealth managers and private bankers who advise them. putting these concerns aside, 2014 was a good year for the wealthy. The vast majority saw their net worth increase, and most of the respondents to the survey said this trend would continue for their clients in 2015. But with contributors from all parts of the world, the results of our Attitudes Survey highlight some revealing regional trends. Generally, UHNWIs living in Austral- asia seem happiest with their lifestyles – only 4% want to change their country of residence or domicile, and very few send their children overseas to be educated. By contrast, a third of those from russia and the cIS are considering a move, and over 60% dispatch their children abroad for their secondary education. The results of the Attitudes Survey also cement the position of property as the cor- nerstone of many UHNWI investment stra- tegies – it accounts on average for almost a third of UHNWI portfolios. But bricks and mortar are not the only tangible assets that are in demand. So-called investments of passion, such as art, wine and classic cars, continue to attract more interest. While our survey doesn’t delve into the more personal facets of UHNWI lifestyles, it provides an invaluable glimpse of their attitudes towards property, investments and the factors affecting their ability to increase and safeguard their wealth, and how those factors vary around the world. 01 Getting richer according to the results of the attitudes survey, 80% of wealth advisors expect their clients’ net worth to increase in 2015 02 The joy of property over a quarter of uhNwis are thinking of buying a new house in 2015, while 35% of those surveyed expect their clients to increase their allocation to property investments during the year. in certain regions of the world up to a third of the super-rich are thinking of changing their domicile or country of residence 03 The collecting bug over 60% of survey respondents reckon their clients are becoming more interested in collecting investments of passion
  • 6.
    attitudes survey thewealth report 20151110 The fifth instalment of The Wealth Report’s annual Attitudes Survey is based on a detailed survey of almost 500 leading private bankers and wealth advisors from across the globe, and reflects the attitudes of their ultra-wealthy clients who have a combined wealth of over US$1.7tn. covering many aspects of the lifestyles of ultra-high-net-worth individuals (those with a net worth of over $30m), from wealth creation to philanthropy, from property investments to luxury spend- ing trends, the survey’s findings offer a unique insight into the attitudes of the super-wealthy. last year proved to be a more profit- able one for the world’s UHNWIs than expected by their advisors. In 2013 when we asked the survey’s respondents about their clients’ wealth creation prospects over the next 12 months, 63% said they thought their net worth would increase. A year later 82% said it had actually increased during 2014, with only 3% reporting a fall. looking forward, the outlook is still bullish. Despite concerns over the global economy, 80% of survey respondents concerned about the handover of family wealth to the next generation. A potential increase in wealth taxes (81%) and increased government scrutiny of wealth (80%) were the second and third most vexatious issues, according to our survey results. respondents from Aus- tralasia were the least concerned about increased government scrutiny, with only 44% flagging it as a threat. The growing power of the internet, both in terms of cyber-crime and the abil- ity to invade privacy and damage reputa- tions, led 76% of respondents to highlight it as an area of concern. Philanthropy, shopping, flying UHNWI attitudes to philanthropy remain largely unchanged. According to last year’s Attitudes Survey, 21% of respond- ents expected their clients’ philanthropic expect their clients’ wealth to grow further in 2015 (see p18 for our detailed predic- tions on global wealth creation over the next 10 years). wealth threats However, the road to greater riches is not always simple, and the survey results highlight a number of issues that UHNWIs believe could hinder their ability to gener- ate more wealth. Interestingly, it was not the global geopolitical and economic issues that tend to spook stock markets that were of the most concern, but more personal issues. on average, less than half of respond- ents said their clients were concerned about the impact of the chinese economy dipping (although unsurprisingly this rises to over 70% in Asia and 67% in neighbouring Australasia). The same pat- tern was repeated for the ongoing turmoil in the Middle east and Ukraine. family succession issues were, in fact, the number one worry, with 85% of respondents saying their clients were activities to increase; in this year’s survey the figure was 22%, with three-quarters predicting they would remain the same. The outlook for a rise in giving was most pessimistic in more mature economies like europe (17%), perhaps because philanthropy is already well established there, compared with emerging economies like Africa (36%). As part of this year’s Attitudes Survey we have endeavoured to find out if younger UHNWIs have a different attitude to wealth than their parents’ generation. When asked if they were more philanthropic, 45% of respondents said “yes”. By contrast, when we asked if they spent more on luxury goods, two-thirds of those taking the survey agreed that was the case, perhaps explaining why succession planning is considered such a big issue. overall, 30% of survey respondents are expecting their clients to splash out more on luxury goods this year, compared with 2014, with UHNWIs from Africa (39%) enjoying their wealth the most. The use of private jets is growing stead- ily around the world, with demand rising most quickly in Asia – 38% of respondents said their clients were increasingly using them for business and leisure purposes (see our special feature on p40 for more). homes, vineyards, migration Across the world, 23% of the wealth on av- erage of UHNWIs is accounted for by their main residence and any second homes not Wealth trends The latest findings from The Wealth Report’s annual Attitudes Survey of UHNWI advisors ANDREW SHIRLEY, THE WEALTH REPORT EDITOR percentage of respondents who think their younger uhNwis are more philanthropic than their parents’generation 45% source:the wealth report 2015 attitudes survey source:the wealth report 2015 attitudes survey data refers to number of survey respondents who said each issue was of concern to their clients source:the wealth report 2015 attitudes survey BriGht Future Most wealth advisors expect their clients’ wealth to increase in 2015 doyoungeruhNwisspend moreonluxurygoodsthan theirparents? spend more spend the same spend less 25% 9% 66% Wealth worries the issues uhNwis believe could affect their wealth, lifestyles or business China’spotential economicslowdown politicalinterference Cyber-crimeand onlineprivacy potentialincrease inwealthtaxes 85% 81% 80% 76% 68% 66% 51% 51% 49% CrisisinMiddleeast politicalsituation inrussia/ukraine Family/business successionissues increasedscrutinyof wealthybygovernmentwealthybygovernmentwealthybygovernmentwealthybygovernmentwealthybygovernmentwealthybygovernment health/environmentissues THE WEALTH REPORT ATTITUDES SURVEY the results of the attitudes survey are based on the responses from almost 500 private bankers and wealth advisors who completed a survey in late autumn 2014. the global figures are weighted to reflect the regional distribution of uhNwi wealth popu- lations. a full regional breakdown of the data is available in databank at the back of the report. Wealth monitor respondents were asked how their clients’ wealth had changed during 2014 and how they thought it would change in 2015 2014 Change region % increase africa 89% asia 74% australasia 81% europe 74% latin america 87% Middle east 88% North america 100% russia/Cis 33% wealth has decreased wealth has remained the same wealth has increased 2015 outlook region % increase africa 82% asia 75% australasia 69% europe 71% latin america 85% Middle east 77% North america 100% russia/Cis 44% wealth will decrease wealth will remain the same wealth will increase
  • 7.
    attitudes survey thewealth report 20151312 source:thewealthreport2015attitudessurvey one of the most revealing questions posed by the survey relates to the number of Uhnwis who are planning to permanently change their domicile or country of residence Allocation to property in UHNWI investment portfolios owned purely as an investment, according to our survey results. In Australasia and Asia the proportion edges up to almost 30%. Just over a quarter of UHNWIs are considering purchasing another house in 2015 to add to the three they already own. When we asked our respondents if any of their clients were particularly interested in a ski, vineyard or equestrian property, a few interesting trends emerged. The de- mand from Asian UHNWIs for vineyards remains keen, with 40% of respondents with clients in china, 43% in Taiwan and 31% in Malaysia noting rising interest. In Africa (29%) and the Middle east (40% in the UAe) equestrian properties are more of a draw, while a ski chalet is the top priority for wealthy second-home seekers from europe (35%) and North America (50% in the US). one of the most revealing questions posed by the survey relates to the number of UHNWIs who are planning to perma- nently change their domicile or country of residence. Australians and New Zealanders are the least likely to want to up sticks. only 4% of those surveyed said their clients were considering a move. By contrast, a third of respondents with clients in the russia/cIS region said a move could be on the cards. This follows a response rate of 35% in last year’s survey, suggesting a longer-term trend is emerging. Globally, tax was highlighted as the main reason UHNWIs would consider moving to a different country, but in rus- sia education and political issues were reported as two of the biggest drivers. Seeking out the best education abroad for their children is clearly very important for russian and cIS UHNWIs. over 60% are likely to send their offspring overseas for their secondary education, compared with a global average of 27%. This process also seems to be happening sooner, with 67% of respondents noting that their clients were sending their children overseas at an earlier age. investing, collecting of course, property is not just a place where the wealthy live. It is increasingly seen as a mainstream investment class, accounting on average for 32% of an UHNWI’s investment portfolio. Globally, 37% of survey respondents said their clients increased their exposure to prop- erty as an investment in 2014 and 35% expect that trend to continue in 2015. residential property is the most popular sector to invest in, with 81% of wealth advisors saying their clients were becoming more interested in it. offices (59%) were the next most popular source:the wealth report 2015 attitudes survey source:the wealth report 2015 attitudes survey property type. (See pp46 to 57 for more on property investment trends.) control of their property investments is clearly important to the wealthy – almost 80% of respondents said UHNWIs prefer to invest directly into property, with only 12% choosing to use a fund vehicle. Bricks and mortar retain their appeal for the latest generation of UHNWIs, with 45% of respondents saying their younger clients were more interested in property than their parents. outside property, equities are pre- dicted to be the most popular investment class in 2015, with a net balance of 45% of those taking the survey expecting their clients’ exposure to stocks and shares to increase in 2015. This builds on the grow- ing appetite for riskier investments that the Attitudes Survey flagged up last year. consequently, according to the survey results, cash, fixed income bonds and gold and other precious metals are likely to see a declining demand this year. Investments of passion, however, remain firmly on the radar for the super- rich. Globally, 61% of our respondents said their UHNWI clients were becoming more interested in the likes of classic cars, art and wine. Art is the luxury asset where interest is rising the most – perhaps unsurpris- ing given its accessibility – followed by watches, wine and classic cars. Stamps arouse the least passion around the world, but there is a noticeable difference in Africa and Asia, where 14% and 8%, respectively, of survey respondents noted increasing interest. Drilling down, the figure rises to 17% for china. This matches the recent rise in prices for Asian and commonwealth stamps. for more on the performance of luxury investments turn to p62. Despite collectable assets commonly being described as investments of pas- sion, personal pleasure is still the main motivation for their acquisition, accord- ing to 62% of those surveyed. In India, however, status (38%) was considered almost as important, and across Asia capital growth (32%) was a key factor. For full regional results see Databank, pp68–69. MasterClass art is the most popular investment of passion, according to the attitudes survey House hunting respondents were asked what percentage of their clients were considering purchasing a new home in 2015 Emigrating respondents were asked what percentage of their clients were considering permanently changing their domicile or country of residence africa 23% asia 22% australasia 15% europe 24% latin america 28% 36%Middle east 31%North america 21%russia/Cis 11% 12% 4% 14% 15% 10% 7% 33% africa asia australasia europe latin america Middle east North america russia/Cis 42%australasia 40%Middle east 38%asia 33%europe 31%africa 27%russia/Cis 26%latin america 24%North america How is the allocation changing? allocation increase allocation remains the same allocation decrease 2014 37% 55% 8% 2015forecast 10% 35% 54% percentage of uhNwis who are becoming more interested in investments of passion 61% percentage of respondents who said their uhNwi clients were more interested in collecting: 3%63% 48% stampsart wine PERCENTAGE OF UHNWIS LIKELY TO SEND THEIR CHILDREN OVERSEAS FOR THEIR SECONDARY EDUCATION australia 3% China 42% russia 50%
  • 8.
    attitudes survey thewealth report 20151514 Wealth trends under the microscope Leading wealth experts share their views on key findings from the Attitudes Survey The results of The Wealth Report Attitudes Survey discussed over the preceding pages provide a unique glimpse into the attitudes, concerns and investment choices of UHNWIs from around the world. To look at some of the issues raised in more detail, we asked leading specialists from various sectors of the wealth industry, including private banking, investment, family offices, education and legal services, to share their own insights into specific trends and highlight what the implications could be for UHNWIs and their advisors. As an investor you should devote your attention to things that a) matter, and b) you can do something about Philanthropic attitude change Millennials (to use the new parlance for under-40s) take seriously the notion of stewardship and social responsibility. This may not be news, exactly, but what differentiates millennials from their parents is the inclination to use robust and/or sophisticated management tech- niques for family philanthropy. The steel magnate model of philanthropy is giving way to that of measuring impact not only through the aforementioned implementa- tion of business models for philanthropy, but also through the use of metrics to evaluate the potency of value-informed investments. While wealth managers still need to employ tax-efficient and long-term wealth management vehicles for UHNW millennials, they can also ex- pect to implement values-based consider- ations into investment portfolios. Service providers supporting UHNWIs through intergenerational wealth management services (read here, family offices) can expect family giving to evolve from a redistributive model towards managed and measured philanthropic initiatives. Andrew Porter, Director of Research, Campden wealth Overseas education Recently, leading public schools have start- ed to insist overseas applicants complete at least two years in a UK-based prepara- tory school. Clients from areas that are already well represented in the independ- ent system, such as Russia, Nigeria and the Middle Eastern states, have realised the dramatic effect that an earlier move to a UK school can bring. Leading public schools carry out rigorous preassessments when children are 10 or 11. Preparing for these tests from within the system greatly increases a student’s chance of success. For all these reasons, we are seeing renewed interest in boarding preparatory schools and London day schools from most of our international clients. William Petty, Director, Bonas MacfaRlane Education Luxury investment In our experience UHNWIs are becom- ing more and more concerned about paper assets such as bonds and equities, and are increasingly looking for tangible alternatives. The scarcity of luxury assets and their historic ability to hedge against inflation make them an appealing invest- ment proposition – it is always possible to commission a new yacht, but nobody can paint another Monet or build a classic Ferrari. Increasing demand and limited supply suggest that capital growth could continue. There are risks, however, like fraud and poor portfolio diversification. To remove some of these risks, inves- tors should express their views on luxury through a multi-asset solution. Saeed Patel, Investment Analyst, Schroders Attitudes to risk As an investor you should devote your attention to things that a) matter, and b) you can do something about. Geo-poli- tical events, though of huge significance in most ways, matter much less to the returns of a long-term investor than inves- tors think they do, while they’re thinking about them. And they are typically so unpredictable that it is nearly impossible to do much about them in the short term with any certainty. So it is uncommonly reassuring to observe from the Attitudes Survey results that clients instead seem to be rightly much more focused on the certain things they can actually do something about, such as planning for succession, taxes, government scru- tiny and privacy/security. Or at least their advisors think they are – which may not be quite the same thing. Dr Greg B Davies, Head of Behavioural Finance, Barclays Online perils A reputation is an individual’s most valu- able asset, and in an increasingly digital age, cyber-crime and online privacy are big concerns. We are increasingly being asked by high-net-worth individuals how they can go about protecting their reputa- tion. It is vital to conduct a reputation management audit as soon as possible. This will focus on maintaining or taking control of an individual’s reputation. The first area to look at is information that the individual, or friends and family, has direct control over, such as social media accounts and personal websites. It’s also important that family and friends are aware of the risks of posting information online, as it could damage the individual. The more that can be done at the proactive stage, the better. Niri Shan, Head of Reputation Management, Taylor Wessing
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    1716 the wealthrePort 20151616 a comprehensive analysis of how wealth is distributed around the world Global wealth trends With the help of data from WealthInsight, The Wealth Report provides a unique and comprehensive analysis of how global wealth distribution is changing and is pre- dicted to change over the next 10 years. Last year, around 15 people a day joined the ranks of the ultra-wealthy, or those worth over US$30m. This growth is set to continue in the coming decade, with the global population of ultra-high- net-worth individuals forecast to climb by 34% to a total of almost 231,000. Our data also allows us to look at wealth distribution trends at a granular country level. As such, we can highlight specific wealth-creation hotspots, for example, Kazakhstan, where the number of UHNWIs is set to grow by 114% over the next decade. But topping the list of the almost 100 countries we examine is Viet- nam, with a forecast uplift of 159% in its UHNWI population. Taking a different angle on the data, we can see how evenly wealth is distrib- uted within a country. While Monaco, unsurprisingly, perhaps, given that most of its residents are very wealthy, tops this list, with the equivalent of 574 UHNWIs per 100,000 people, the other countries that emerge at the top are perhaps more surprising. The, US with 12.7 UHNWIs per 100,000 head of population, is some way behind countries in Scandinavia, New Zealand and the UK. Despite the sharp rise in the number of Chinese UHNWIs, there are still only 0.6 UHNWIs per 100,000 people in China because of the size of the country’s population. Wealth, or more specifically, its uneven distribution, has become an increasing subject of debate over the past few years. Some, such as the controversial French economist Thomas Piketty, argue that governments should take action and levy higher taxes on the rich in order to re-distribute wealth. Others, like our contributor Dr Pippa Malmgren, believe that higher taxes could actually prove a barrier to economic growth, undermining the opportunity for wealth creation across every stratum of society. In developing countries significant amounts of wealth are already being created by a growing and increasingly aspirational middle class. On p23 we examine the importance of this movem ent across the world, not only as a gen- erator of wealth but also in terms of the increased political power it commands, and how this may be set to change the geopolitical landscape. 01 Wealth rises the global population of uhnwis rose by almost 5,200, or 3%, in 2014, and 53 new billionaires were created 02 future growth over the next 10 years the number of uhnwis around the world is forecast to rise by 34% to almost 231,000. Growth will be strongest in developing regions, with africa’s ultra-wealthy population rising by 59% 03 regional shifts asian uhnwis now hold more total wealth ($5.9tn) than those in north america ($5.5tn) Global wealth distribution
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    1918 the wealthrePort 2015Global wealth distribution 18 The global population of ultra-high-net- worth individuals grew by almost 5,200 last year, according to data prepared exclusively for The Wealth Report by the analyst firm WealthInsight. This latest increase means 65,335 people have joined the ranks of the ultra-wealthy over the past decade – a rise of 61%. In total, there are now 172,850 individuals in this cohort who hold wealth totalling $20.8tn, an increase of $700bn during 2014. Moving up the wealth brackets, nearly 1,180 people became centa-millionaires in 2014, taking the world’s total population of those worth over $100m to 38,280. At the top of the wealth tree 53 individ- uals became billionaires last year, pushing global membership of this exclusive club to 1,844 – an 82% rise from the number recorded in 2004. The annual pace of wealth creation also quickened in 2014 compared with 2013, albeit slightly. The number of UHNWIs grew by 3.1% last year, compared with 2.9% in the previous 12 months. But at a regional level the differences were more marked. Most notably, Asia overtook North America as the region with the second- largest UHNWI growth. Some 1,419 people moved past the $30m+ mark in Asia in 2014, after an increase of fewer than 1,000 in 2013. Europe held onto the top spot with the most new entrants into the ultra-wealthy bracket over 2014. The ultra-wealthy in Asia now also hold more in total wealth, with net assets of $5.9tn, than those in North America, with $5.5tn. However, with a $6.4tn treasure chest, European UHNWIs still control the most wealth. Last year’s rise in UHNWI numbers came despite weaker-than-anticipated global economic growth. During 2014 the IMF was forced to downgrade its forecast increase for world output from 3.7% to 3.3%. Throughout the course of 2014, politi- cal tensions mounted, while increased For full details of wealth distribution trends and forecasts for each world region and for almost 100 countries turn to databank, p66 uhnwI population growth continues The Wealth Report highlights key current and future global wealth distribution trends GrÁinne Gilmore, Head of UK residential researcH uncertainty over the ramifications of withdrawing fiscal stimulus measures in the US affected sentiment in many regions. Towards the end of the year plunging oil prices and the strengthening dollar also hit emerging markets, as well as key natural resource exporters like Nigeria, Russia and Mexico. Ouliana Vlasova, Head of Content at WealthInsight, says: “The positive outcomes for developed economies at the start of 2014 positively influenced wealth creation. However, that picture changed throughout the year. The growth in wealth could perhaps have been bigger had the world economy picked up more strongly in the second half of last year.” The outlook for the rest of this year is also mixed. Although the IMF has down- graded its own forecasts for annual growth in world output from 3.8% to 3.5%, this is still slightly stronger than the growth in 2014. Emerging economies are expected to grow by 4.3%, compared with 2.4% for developed economies. Economic headwinds There is certainly evidence that beneath the economic headwinds, some central banks and governments have been getting to grips with the serious repair work needed in the wake of the global financial crisis. However, fears over economic weak- ness in the eurozone prompted the Euro- pean Central Bank to start a programme of quantitative easing earlier this year, a signal of the headwinds still facing devel- oped economies. Yet the longer-term forecast for wealth creation, anticipating how wealthy popu- lations will have changed a decade from now, is still upbeat. Looking through the shorter-term uncertainties, WealthInsight predicts the number of ultra-wealthy people will grow globally by 34% between 2014 and 2024, up from a forecast of 28% growth between 2013 and 2023 (see graphic for regional predictions). Ms Vlasova says: “We expect the measures that are being put into place to uhnwI populations and total wealth by region in 2014 172,850 Global uhnwi population 2014 $20.8tn Global uhnwi wealth 2014 34% Predicted global uhnwi population growth 2014 to 2024 all data provided by countries with UHnWi population growth of 5% or above in 2014 Zambia Mongolia namibia Kazakhstan China uruguay iran Vietnam uae Panama hong Kong nigeria uganda Myanmar Monaco 10% 7% 7% 6% 6% 6% 6% 6% 5% 5% 5% 5% 5% 5% 5% russia/Cis 2,068 Predicted uhnwi 10-yr growth 25% total uhnwi wealth $0.6tn asia 42,272 Predicted uhnwi 10-yr growth 48% total uhnwi wealth $5.9tn australasia 3,920 Predicted uhnwi 10-yr growth 23% total uhnwi wealth $0.4tn latin america 9,902 Predicted uhnwi 10-yr growth 50% total uhnwi wealth $1.2tn europe 60,565 Predicted uhnwi 10-yr growth 25% total uhnwi wealth $6.4tn africa 1,932 Predicted uhnwi 10-yr growth 59% total uhnwi wealth $0.2tn Middle east 7,269 Predicted uhnwi 10-yr growth 40% total uhnwi wealth $0.7tn north america 44,922 Predicted uhnwi 10-yr growth 25% total uhnwi wealth $5.5tn
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    2120 the wealthreport 2015Global wealth distribution While Monaco is set to double its population of ultra-wealthy residents over the next 10 years, it will not quite keep up with the rate of growth in some other economies, including Vietnam, the Ivory Coast, Kazakhstan and Indonesia, which are forecast to see the largest increases in UHNWI populations over the next decade (see chart above). We identified Kazakhstan last year as a country to watch, and this is still the case. It is set for a 114% increase in UHNWIs over the next 10 years, much higher than the 46% growth forecast for neighbouring Russia. Indeed, most of the CIS countries are set to outperform Russia in terms of UHNWI growth – not only because of the military and fiscal turbulence in the country, but also because of the trend in Russia for those who have amassed wealth to base themselves overseas. Almost one- third of Russian UHNWIs would like to change their domicile, according to the Attitudes Survey. Indonesia, which is expected to see 132% growth in the number of ultra- wealthy people by 2024, is the only MINT country where 10-year forecast growth exceeds 100%. Jim O’Neill, former Chair- man of Goldman Sachs, popularised the acronym MINT for Mexico, Indonesia, Nigeria and Turkey, identifying them as the new engines of economic growth. Nigeria comes close to Indonesia with 90% forecast growth in UHNWIs. It is striking, however, that even this level of growth is not enough to clinch the top spot for Africa, which is taken by the Ivory Coast (+119%). Deon de Klerk, Head of International Private Clients at Standard safeguard against another financial crisis will contribute to improved economic conditions over the next decade, coupled with government initiatives to create more entrepreneurs – one of the main drivers of millionaire growth.” Asia is set to lead the way, with another 20,127 people likely to see their wealth move past $30m during the next decade. Looking in more detail at our data, which includes a comprehensive analysis of wealth distribution for over 100 countries, we see a number of other key trends emerge. Despite the turbulence in some cor- ners of the global economy as a result of renewed political tensions and fiscal uncertainty in 2014, some countries expe- rienced particularly strong wealth crea- tion last year, with UHNWI populations expanding by 5% or more in 15 countries (see chart on p18). Twelve of these countries were emerg- ing economies, underlining the fact that despite concerns about the easing of the pace of growth in developing economies, they are still key drivers of wealth crea- tion. But it is also notable that it was Monaco, the well-established hub for wealth, that topped the list for growth last year, with a 10% expansion in its popula- tion of UHNWIs. The number of centa- In terms of sheer numbers, the US will still be the dominant force in terms of its ultra-wealthy population in 2024 Countries with highest forecast growth in UHNWI populations, 2014-2024 millionaires (those with over $100m in net assets) in the principality jumped by 10% in 2014, far above the European aver- age of 3.2%, while the number of billion- aires rose from 11 to 12 (see chart on p21). It is likely that the tax-free environ- ment and low entry hurdles for residency in Monaco have become a greater draw for those concerned by discussions of increased taxes on wealth and assets. Indeed, our Attitudes Survey (p10) high- lights that one of the biggest concerns for UHNWIs across the globe is a potential increase in wealth taxes. In terms of sheer numbers, the US will still be the dominant force in terms of its ultra-wealthy population in 2024, with the data forecasting a 25% increase in UHNWI numbers to almost 51,000, the biggest concentration in any single country (see chart on the right). Wealth equality But when looking at these wealthy residents as a proportion of the country’s total population, the US, with 12 UHNWIs per 100,000, is outgunned by 19 countries including New Zealand and the UK (see chart on p21). Unsurprisingly, Monaco tops the list with an equivalent rate of 574 per 100,000. Bank, Africa’s largest bank, says: “Africa has the highest potential for growth of any region at the moment. Reforms in Nigeria have been expedited, helping the country build credibility among foreign investors. It is an exciting time.” When we look at the amalgamated expectations for growth in UHNWIs, the MINT countries, with average expected uplift of 76% over the next decade, nar- rowly defeat the BRIC countries (Brazil, Russia, India and China), which have an average forecast growth of 72%. How- ever, they both far outstrip global average MIDAS TOUCH Monaco’s population of UHNWIs is set to double by 2024 Number of UHNWIs per 100,000 people Breakdown of Monaco wealth tiers (2014) Millionaires UHNWIs Centa-millionaires Billionaires 11,924 217 22 12 Monaco 574 Luxembourg 113 Singapore 60 Switzerland 54 Norway 50 New Zealand 24 UK 17 Germany 14 Japan 13 US 13 Russia 0.9 Forecast top FIVE UHNWI populations in 2024 Japan China Germany UK US 50,767 19,916 15,681 14,481 13,176
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    22Global wealth distribution forecastgrowth (34%) and the average increase expected across the G8 (28%) over the next decade. In China, policymakers are under increasing pressure with questions over economic growth mounting as well as political tensions surfacing in Hong Kong. However, Gabriel Sterne, Head of Global Macro Investor Services at Oxford Economics, says there is room for more education and financial deepening in the country. “We still see China as a success story, and it should continue to catch up in terms of productivity,” he says. Cer- tainly by 2024 China is not only set to be the largest economy in the world, but will boast nearly 15,700 UHNWIs and 338 billionaires. Meanwhile, elections in India and Bra- zil have sparked opportunities for more economic growth. India has seen a 166% rise in UHNWIs over the past decade, and with the new Indian government com- manding a majority in the lower house for the first time in three decades, there is real opportunity to introduce far more transparency. That in turn will boost for- eign investment. WealthInsight forecasts a 104% increase in India’s UHNWIs over the next decade. Last year’s election in Brazil, and the ensuing interest rate rise by the country’s central bank, flexing its independent muscles, could start to shore up the Brazillian economy. There is still much work to be done, including offsetting the falling prices for key Brazilian exports. However, despite this, the growth of Brazil’s UHNWI population over the next decade is expected to outperform the global average, at 50%. Eurozone difficulties The difficulties in the eurozone over the last year, with Germany narrowly avoid- ing another recession, are not over yet. The economic grouping faces a potential- ly painful re-balancing of the economy, driving productivity as well as consump- tion in the coming years. This is re- flected in our data, with many eurozone countries seeing a slightly lower level of growth in ultra-wealthy populations than the global average. However, the newest entrants to the eurozone – Latvia, Lithua- nia and Estonia – are set to outperform in the next decade, albeit from a low base. The UK, which had the fastest-growing economy in the G8 last year, is set to see 100 billionaires by 2024, making it the fifth-highest hub for billionaires in the world behind the US, China, India and Russia, each of whose overall population significantly outnumbers that of the UK. For more wealth distribution numbers see Databank, p66. olYMPian endeaVours uhnwi population growth in brazilian cities like são Paulo is set to outperform the global average Globalpyramidofwealth2014 billionaires 1,844 Centa-millionaires 38,280 uhnwis 172,850 Millionaires 17,808,831 total population 7,290,912,784* *as of 15:48 GMt 27 January 2015 source: wealthinsight, worldometers.info WEALTH TAXES: THE GREAT DEBATE the debate about income inequality (see graphic below) and wealth taxes gained traction during 2014, not least because of the wide discussions around the ideas of thomas Piketty, a French economist who argues that there should be a global wealth tax on the richest in order to redis- tribute money to the poorest in society.the well-respected oeCd has also highlighted that inequality can curb economic growth, arguing that using tax and transfers to tackle inequality can be effective as long as the policies are highly targeted, aimed at not just the very poorest but the poorest 40% of the population, particularly focus- ing on education. Yet other economists point out it has been proved that high marginal tax rates can decrease productivity and inhibit entrepreneurialism, as those who suc- ceed are faced with the prospect of much higher levies. dr Pippa Malmgren, founder of drPM Group and former economic ad- visor to us President George w. bush, argues that instead of focusing on taxing wealth brackets, there should be more emphasis on creating more wealth for all. in her book Signals, published earlier this year, she argues that instead of increasing tax levies, governments should be cutting them, especially for entrepreneurs and small businesses:“the argument seems to have swung to distribution, when in fact it should be about productivity.it is essential that the policymakers focus on innovating and growing their economies.” Millionaires. UHNWIs. Centa-mil- lionaires. Billionaires. Their lives and lifestyles cause fascination worldwide, but the changes happening below the apex of the wealth pyramid, while less glamorous, are just as important to anybody inter- ested in the luxury sector. Mass affluence, or the creation of middle-class consumers with disposable income to spend, is inextricably linked with economic growth and development, and wealth creation. However, unlike the clearly delineated strata of the super-wealthy discussed ear- lier, there is no hard-and-fast definition of middle class. Some researchers have included those who earn close to or above the country’s average wage, while others have set specific income thresholds. For example, influential economists Branko Milanovic and Shlomo Yitzhaki declared in 2000 that the global middle class were those who earned between $4,000 and $17,000 a year. More recently, the idea of looking at the purchase and use of cars as a measure of disposable income and middle-class status has gained currency. Whatever the definition, there is no doubt that the middle classes have been expanding rapidly in emerging econo- mies in recent years. By Milanovic and Yitzhaki’s measure, there are more than 369 million middle-class people in G20 developing economies, such as China, Brazil and India, and around one billion in advanced economies. Between 2000 and 2010, Africa’s middle-class population grew from 29% to 34% of the continent’s total popula- tion, while the OECD says that by 2030 Asia will account for 66% of the world’s middle-class population – 10 times larger than that of the US and five times bigger than Europe’s. As well as indicating rising living standards in a country, the middle classes are also the engine of consumer spend- ing, with enough disposable income to purchase goods and services that can help pump money back into domestic and international economies. The trend is particularly striking in the emerging economies, where private consumption is growing at around three times the rate of advanced economies. The developing world’s share of global private consumption climbed from 18% to nearly 30% between 2002 and 2012, ac- cording to In Search of the Global Middle Class, written by Uri Dadush and Shimelse Ali. It is certainly no coincidence that the wealth data prepared for this report shows that some of the fastest rates of growth in the number of millionaires will be in Africa and Latin America over the next decade, with an expected increase of 53% and 46%, respectively. Increased middle-class spending and investment power in developing econo- mies has a direct impact on the poten- tial for the creation of entrepreneurial UHNWIs who can benefit from the rising appetite for everything from consumer goods to financial services, technology and health care. This has been well proved by the stratospheric success of Alibaba, which provides sales services for websites and has propelled its founder, Jack Ma, to the top of China’s rich list. Alibaba’s success has been the result of, in no small part, increased consumer demand and access to technology across China. In Africa, Acacia Mall, a new high-end shopping mall in Kampala, Uganda, is just one example of how the middle classes are shaping retail, with Western-style shop- ping centres now providing good returns for their HNWI backers. Judy Rugasira Ky- anda, Managing Director at Knight Frank Uganda, says: “The mall is surrounded by areas populated by a strong middle class, who benefit from the retail and services provided in an upmarket setting.” Inditex, the Spanish retailer whose brands include Zara, Uterqüe and Mas- simo Dutti, and which is majority owned by its founder, the Spanish billionaire Amancio Ortega, has been expanding rapidly in China. It has been opening five Zara stores a month to satisfy the demand for its chic-yet-affordable fashion among the middle class. A growing and strengthening middle class can often be accompanied by politi- cal challenges, however, as the growth in economic independence sparks greater demand for better services – especially education, political transparency and freedom of expression. In the past two years alone there have been protests in countries including Brazil, Hong Kong, Venezuela, Bulgaria, China and Turkey, which have, to some extent, been associ- ated with the increasingly vociferous demands of the middle classes. Yet the increasing demands of the middle classes can also prove a great spur to innovation, encouraging entrepreneurs to start their own businesses to provide for this emerging class with disposable income, which in turn provides good jobs to lift more people into the middle classes – resulting in a form of virtuous circle. This ability of the middle class to grow itself is perhaps just as well, as amid a cloudier outlook for the global economy, the eyes of the world are turning to the middle classes – and more importantly their wallets and purses. Their spending power will be a crucial lever to help boost global demand. the power of mass affluence Special focus on the importance of middle-class wealth growth GrÁinne Gilmore, Head of UK residential researcH 23 PURCHASING POWER Middle-class spending is driving wealth creation tHE WEAltH REPORt 2015
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    2524 the wealthrePort 2015Global wealth distribution technology Identifying specific growth op- portunities is made more dif- ficult by the uncertain outlook, and it is equally difficult to be sure which assets will be low risk in the future – traditional havens cannot be guaranteed to remain low risk, and this includes blue-chip companies and government debt. But in this environment, excessive caution can be misplaced, and even wealth preservation requires a degree of risk. Tak- ing a 10-year view, advances in technology should continue to empower the spread of education and prosperity, and in turn fuel consumer demand. Only a major conflict is likely to stand in the way of this. Instability is a risk to any form of economic growth. This is particularly true in Africa. A major sustained political upheaval or a similar incident could detract from the important projects being implemented that should de- liver growth. There are many countries within Africa, all at Africa is one of the few re- gions remaining in the world where there is huge potential for growth. It has a growing and young population that is fuelling demand and push- ing up economic activity and wealth creation. The con- tinent also boasts a strong strand of entrepreneurialism, which  has resulted in a clear shift towards substantial The Wealth Report asks what the biggest risks and opportunities for wealth creation around the world are JoHn Veale Chief investment officer at stonehage investment Partners, a global multifamily office deon de KlerK head of international Private Clients at standard bank, the largest bank in africa different stages of develop- ment. The ideal is that each of these countries stays on track towards economic develop- ment and growth. But if any of them, especially one of the major nations such as Nigeria, Kenya, South Africa or Angola, took a sudden change of direc- tion, then that would pose a risk to Africa’s growth story. growth in HNWI numbers over recent years. Given that Africa currently accounts for 15% of the world’s population, but de- livers only 4% of global output, it unquestionably offers great opportunity over the medium and longer term. There will be growing oppor- tunities in emerging-market technology – that is, new, more-sophisticated develop- ments within the technology we all use every day. Funding platforms such as Kickstarter are exciting, helping engender more new ideas. We also see real estate, mostly com- mercial property, in the US as an opportunity – there is a reassurance that you can actu- ally go kick your investment. People should not overlook the opportunities in developed economies. For many years the story has been about emerging economies, based on their manufacturing. But we have moved some of our manu- facturing back to the US and Canada in recent years – there is opportunity here. cUrt ricHardson uhnwi us tech entrepreneur and founder of otterbox technology and real estate africa’s young population risks opportunities narrow economic growth dr sHUBHada rao senior President and Chief economist at Yes bank, one of india’s largest private- sector banks The risk for wealth creation in the Indian economy and many other emerging economies will arise if economic growth over the coming years is not spread across every sector of the economy, from services to energy. Such broad-based growth results in a quicker trickle-down effect than when the economy is relying on just a few strong pockets of output. Every economy that trans- forms itself from an emerging to a developed economy has seen some instances where wealth inequality has growth, but this seems to be most acute where the economy is leaning on just one or two levers of growth. pricing of equities cHris Williamson Chief economist at Markit, a global financial information services provider I see the biggest risk at present being the disconnect between the pricing of bonds and com- modities on the one hand, and equities on the other. While bond and commodity prices are pricing in weak global de- mand, recent stock market ral- lies seem to be factoring in the expectation of future profits based on rising demand. This year will certainly be a year to watch how the markets react to the withdrawal of monetary stimulus in the US, as there is a strong argument that the stock rally has been fuelled by excess credit in developed and emerging markets, fuelled by quantitative easing. Government expansion cUrt ricHardson uhnwi us tech entrepreneur and founder of otterbox One key risk, certainly in the US but also elsewhere around the world, is the continued ex- pansion of government. There has been exponential growth in the size of the government in the US over the past eight to 12 years, and this has been marked by more taxes and regulation. These develop- ments have an impact on the dollars people have to invest. When there is uncertainty about whether a tax regime will continue to change, or about expanding regulation, investment decisions change, which in turn can have an effect on economic as well as investment outcomes. The US’s approach to this is, in effect, a global issue, as its economic performance has international ramifications. property and investments of passion cHris Williamson Chief economist at Markit, a global financial information services provider After a period such as the financial crisis, with the great correction that happened in its wake, there are always opportunities to find assets that might still be under- valued, whether property in the US or Spain. Even seven years after the crisis, there are still opportunities available. Alongside this, it is no sur- prise to me that investments of passion have performed so well of late. If you can only get a low rate of return, you might as well invest in something you enjoy. My vote is for clas- sic motorcycles. find the “missing middle” of manufacturing dr sHUBHada rao senior President and Chief economist at Yes bank, one of india’s largest private- sector banks The opportunities for wealth creation, especially in India, are potentially huge, if policy- makers can boost manufactur- ing, or, as I call it, the “missing middle”. There are signs of a stronger and more transparent policy system under the new Modi government, and, if suc- cessful, this will attract more overseas investment. India has the ability and the know-how to increase its global presence in terms of manufacturing, and it could benefit from the global links created by over- seas investment. If allowed to flourish, a manufacturing sector in India could provide massive growth. Education is also more widespread than in other emerging economies. Volatile outlook JoHn Veale Chief investment officer at stonehage investment Partners, a global multifamily office Geopolitical events such as the escalation of Russia’s ac- tions in Ukraine could lead to further loss of confidence and potentially a deflationary trap, particularly in Europe. At the other extreme, if economic growth is stronger than antici- pated and central banks are wrong-footed by wage pres- sures on inflation, this could lead to tightening of policy and strong rises in yields. As investment advisors we worry more about these issues today, as loose monetary policies have helped push the valua- tion of many asset markets to levels that allow little room for disappointment. sustained political upheaval deon de KlerK head of international Private Clients at standard bank, the largest bank in africa
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    27 the wealthreport 201526Global cities The cities that matter to the world’s wealthy for business and lifestyle Global Cities Survey What makes a city important to the wealthy, and what makes them want to live there? Researchers attempt to solve this conundrum by measuring and ranking quality of life and a host of other indicators. Of course, if we measure a city’s importance by political power, Washington DC and Beijing will be at the top of the tree, followed closely by Brussels, the power base of the EU. If we assess quality of life, a clutch of northern European, Canadian and Australian cities, led by the likes of Melbourne and Toronto, will dominate. But, by and large, these cities do not boast the highest concentrations of UHNWI residents. You may need to lobby in Washington or Brussels, but you are less likely to want to live there. Our focus, as highlighted so graphical- ly on pp30-31, is to consider the number of UHNWIs who actually choose to live in each city. To provide a more rounded picture we have also assessed responses from our Attitudes Survey, in which we asked wealth advisors around the world to name the cities where their clients spend time for business and leisure. “Follow the money” was the sage advice from the Watergate mole, and it holds true at the top of our rankings. London and New York, the world’s dominant financial centres, take the first two positions in our latest rankings. Although the total wealth held by UHNWIs is now greater in Asia than in North America, no single city can claim to be the region’s economic hub and really challenge the dominance of London and New York. Within the Asia-Pacific region, Hong Kong is now the most important city largely because of its close economic affinity with China, although Singapore has the biggest UHNWI population. Some of the most interesting results are not found at the top of city ranking tables – new candidates rarely emerge – and up-and-coming locations offer some of the most interesting opportunities for entrepreneurial UHNWIs or those looking to join the ranks of the super-rich. On p32 and p33 we highlight four cities around the world that could be worth a closer look. 01 London calling The UK’s capital is now the world’s most important city, but that distinction could belong to New York by 2025 02 Power shift Despite not being able to grab the top spots from London and New York, the number of UHNWI residents in Singapore and Hong Kong is set to increase more rapidly over the next 10 years. Seven of the top 10 risers are in Asia 03 Asian battle Hong Kong overtakes Singapore as the key city for UHNWIs in Asia. It will retain this position in 2025
  • 15.
    2928 the wealthreport 2015 Most important cities to UHNWIs in 2025 1 New York 2 London 3 Hong Kong 4 Singapore 5 Shanghai 6 Beijing 7 Miami 8 Dubai 9 Paris 10 Zurich Global cities Changing fortunes across our rankings over the past 12 months have seen Hong Kong and Singapore continue to slug it out for pole position in Asia. This year Hong Kong edges ahead, moving from fourth to third position in our global top 10. With Shanghai main- taining its steady rise, Asia holds four of the top 10 slots in our list. Although Geneva loses ground this year, Zurich’s strengthening helps maintain European representation. Focusing purely on the population of wealthy residents, our data confirms that London remains the single biggest centre for global UHNWIs, followed by Tokyo, Singapore and New York. Ten years hence and the expectation is that London will retain its top spot, but Singapore will have closed the gap with a 54% growth in its population of UHNWIs over that period. With the exception of London, European cities will see a relative decline in their rankings based on the size of their UHNWI populations over the next decade, despite an average 27% growth in wealthy residents. Europe’s relative, if not absolute, decline is reflected in North America, The world’s top 40 cities The latest results from our Global Cities Survey, which monitors the cities that matter to the world’s wealthy LIAM BAILEY, Global Head of Research Australasia and even the Middle East, with one standout reason – the dramatic growth of wealth in Asia. On average, cities across that region will see a 91% growth in their UHNWI populations over the next decade. The most rapid growth in wealth will be seen in the likes of Ho Chi Minh City, Jakarta, Mumbai and Delhi. One-fifth of the cities assessed are expected to see greater than 100% growth over the next decade, all of which are in Asia or Africa. Geographic concentration of wealth remains a key facet with 10% of all additional growth in UHNWIs taking place in just five cities – Singapore, Hong Kong, New York, London and Mumbai – over the next decade. When we focus on the broader measure of dollar millionaires, or HNWIs, rather than UHNWIs, we see some resilience in the performance of cities in the developed world. Tokyo contains the biggest single cluster of HNWIs today. At 466,000 the HNWI population is nearly a fifth larger than the number two city, New York, with a little under 400,000. In 10 years we will see a reversal, with New York expected to be home to the biggest global total, with over 520,000 HNWIs, and Tokyo slipping to second place with 508,000. By this point Beijing will sit in third position, with 350,000 dollar millionaires, a rise of 55% over the decade. Despite the US and Japan hanging on with the two biggest city counts, growth even at this wealth level will be dominated by Asian centres, with six of the 10 biggest growth cities in absolute terms being in Asia. Collectively they are expected to add 600,000 new HNWIs to their populations over the period to 2024. In Mumbai alone forecast growth is a phenomenal 125,000 – a 128%. Our Attitudes Survey points to the cities that UHNWIs believe will yield the best investment opportunities in 2015 – led by New York, London, Berlin and Los Angeles. Looking to the future, one constant remains: the rise of the Asian powerhouse cities, the relative decline of the Euro- pean centres and the tussle between the two global behemoths – New York and London, with New York expected to be the most important city for global UHNWIs in 2025. Source: Knight Frank Global Cities Survey Source: WealthInsight See pp30–31 for more city-level UHNWI population data Source: Knight Frank Research Top 40 most important cities to UHNWIs in 2015 1 London 2 New York 3 Hong Kong 4 Singapore 5 Shanghai 6 Miami 7 Paris 8 Dubai 9 Beijing 10 Zurich 11 Tokyo 12 Toronto 13 Geneva 14 Sydney 15 Taipei 16 Frankfurt 17 Moscow 18 Madrid 19 San Fransisco 20 Vienna 21 Milan 22 Los Angeles 23 Jakarta 24 Munich 25 Amsterdam 26 Mumbai 27 Dublin 28 Johannesburg 29 Istanbul 30 Kuala Lumpur 31 São Paulo 32 Mexico City 33 Berlin 34 Washington DC 35 Boston 36 Cape Town 37 Auckland 38 Buenos Aires 39 Rio de Janeiro 40 Tel Aviv How we measure the world Our analysis confirms the most important global cities to the world’s wealthy. Our measure includes an assessment of unique city-level UHNWI population counts, provided by WealthInsight; in addition, our Attitudes Survey con- tributes rankings covering the importance of cities for their business links, economic activity and lifestyle offer. In short, these are the cities where the wealthy congregate,work,invest,are educated and spend their leisure time. Future forecasts for wealth populations and judgements of the changing influence of cities from our Attitudes Survey underpin our forecast for the top 10 cities in 2025. PRIME MOVER London is the world’s most important city for UHNWIs ASIAN TIGER Singapore is set to gain the most UHNWIs of any city over the next 10 years Top three cities with the greatest growth in the number of UHNWI residents (2014-2024) 1 2 3 Singapore Hong Kong New York +1,752 +1,251 +1,013
  • 16.
    3130 the wealthreport 2015Global Cities Where UHNWIs really live Our Global Cities Survey touched on the locations with the highest concentration of UHNWI residents; here we take a wider graphical look at city-level populations around the world in 2014. Source: WealthInsight
  • 17.
    3332 the wealthreport 2015GLOBAL CITIES The cities featured on this spread are not those about to be listed among the world’s top 10 or even top 20 most important cities. Indeed, none of them yet boasts any billionaire residents, according to data from WealthInsight, but their HNWI (millionaire) and UHNWI populations are rising, and they are locations whose influ- ence we believe is growing strongly at a regional level. Even if they are unlikely to be on the second-home list of most UHNWIs, they should certainly be on their radars in terms of the wealth creation opportunities they will present. Belgrade, Serbia As with all our featured cities, rising wealth is a key illustration of the growing strength of Belgrade’s economic fortunes. While seeing only a steady 12% rise in the number of HNWI residents in the years from 2007 to 2014, the expectation is that this figure will jump markedly by 2024, with a forecast of 72% growth over the decade. Accounting for 40% of Serbia’s economic activity, the city acts as south- eastern Europe’s financial and business centre and is witnessing rising levels of foreign direct investment. Inward investment has been aided by tax incentives and grants and an increas- ingly competitive tax environment, which has attracted the likes of Fiat and Siemens to invest in plants in the city. Lifestyle improvements over the past decade have been supercharged by a grow- ing reputation as a tourist centre – Lonely Planet describes Belgrade as “one of the most happening cities in Europe” – luring Cities of the future The Wealth Report picks locations with a potentially bright future young visitors in particular, who are stay- ing in increasing numbers, attracted by low-cost and relatively high-quality office accommodation to develop internet and app start-ups, including leading online gaming firms. Panama City The unique geography that has blessed Panama with its canal has also aided economic growth and wealth creation in its capital, Panama City, by bridging the divide between Latin and North America. With a near doubling in the number of HNWIs since 2007 to hit 4,700 in 2014 and nearly 7,000 by 2024, The Economist’s decision to label the city “a Singapore for Central America” seems increasingly prescient. In a Central American context Panama offers a high degree of economic and regulatory stability. Investors are attracted by the strongest economic growth offered in the region and also a very competitive tax environment – all The Economist’s decision to label Panama “a Singapore for Central America” seems increasingly prescientof which have contributed to foreign direct investment levels hitting 9% of GDP in recent years. Tourism and retirement developments have added to the attractions of the city. High-quality transport and health care and a growing presence of global hotel brands have drawn investment from entrepreneurs looking to expand on a strong food and lifestyle scene. Addis Ababa, Ethiopia Africa’s fastest-growing economy, Ethiopia, benefits from not only the political importance of Addis Ababa but also the 3.8% annual growth rate of the population within the capital. In addition to natural growth, there is vast rural- urban migration, which planners predict combined could lead to the size of the city surging by 2040 to over 8.1 million. Wealth creation has seen a near doubling of the population of HNWIs since 2007 to a little over 1,300, with one of the strongest forecast growth rates for the coming decade – with an expected expansion to 2,600 by 2024. The city is understandably witness- ing severe growing pains, with public investment in transport including an overhead rail network, and construction dominating GDP growth. Relocation of existing residents to accommodate new infrastructure has caused severe stresses on some sectors of the city’s population. The Renaissance dam under construc- tion on the Blue Nile is Africa’s largest hydroelectric scheme and could provide energy security – a vital component for economic development. With the presence of the African Union headquarters, and the headquar- ters of the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa, as well as a number of continental and international organizations, the city is commonly regarded as the political capital of Africa, lending a strong diplomatic and political edge to its growing economic strengths. 01 BELGRADE South-eastern Europe’s financial centre 02 PANAMA CITY “A Singapore for Central America” 03 ADDIS ABABA Africa’s political capital 04 YANGON Annual tourist visits to hit seven million by 2020 01 02 03 Yangon, Myanmar With its number of HNWI residents set to more than double over the coming decade, hitting in excess of 3,500 US dollar millionaires by 2024, Myanmar’s former capital and largest city, Yangon, is a classic example of emerging market wealth creation. Benefiting from the gradual opening up of its economy, following the introduction of democratic reforms in recent years, the city has seen strong employment growth and inward investment, with annual GDP growth at a national level predicted to eclipse that seen in India and even China in 2015 and 2016. Accounting for a fifth of overall economic output, Yangon is set to be the lead beneficiary of this process. Controls over non-resident property ownership have slowed private interna- tional investments, but private equity investment in business, especially those in the construction and development sectors, have been one method for non-residents to gain exposure to rising property values. Restaurant, hotel and retail offer has been improving steadily over the past five years, and new entrants are arriving rapidly – with tourism visits forecast to grow from three million in 2015 to over seven million in 2020. A grand tour of Myanmar is now on the hotlist for wealthy tourists. 04
  • 18.
    theperformanceofthe world’smostimportant primeresidentialmarkets Virtually everybody likesto talk about house prices, particularly the value of their own home. But for ultra-wealthy individuals who may own houses around the world, keeping track of their portfo- lio’s worth is not that simple. However, Knight Frank’s newly en- larged Prime International Residential Index (PIRI) now includes performance data for 100 of the world’s key luxury city and second-home markets, and is recog- nised as the sector’s most comprehensive performance benchmark. So what does the PIRI 100 tell us about prime market performance in 2014 – which UHNWI property owners will be rubbing their palms, and who will be less cheerful? Well, the picture is certainly mixed around the world. Those lucky enough to have property in the US are unlikely to have any com- plaints, as domestic and international demand fuelled price growth. European destinations fared less well, with values dropping on average by 0.4% across the continent. Overall, city markets around the world outperformed second-home sun and ski destinations. Of course, the analysis over the follow- ing pages is about more than just what happened last year. While past perfor- mance is interesting, what the astute property owner will be more concerned about is future trends. Although isolated issues such as the Swiss government’s surprise decision to unpeg its currency from the euro in January – house prices in effect became 20% more expensive overnight for foreign buyers – will clearly impact markets, we see two main opposing trends at play at the macro level. How they play out will have a profound impact on prime property markets. On one hand, the growing globalisation of wealth means there are more UHNWIs from more countries looking for luxury homes in an increas- ingly diverse number of international destinations; on the other, there is burgeoning government scrutiny of wealth and levels of protectionism. The globalisation theme is highlighted by the rising number of UHNWIs who are looking to shift their domicile; with the help of immigration specialist Fragomen we explore this trend in more detail on page 42. The growing usage of private jets for business and personal purposes is another reflection of rising wealth mobility. Using exclusive data from NetJets we highlight the most popular and fastest-growing routes for the ultra-rich traveller. And finally, Massimo Ferragamo, of the Italian fashion house Ferragamo, shares some of his own perspectives on luxury property ownership. the PIrI 100 01 Big apple bounce New York saw the biggest growth in prime residential prices in 2014 (+18.8%). Three other US locations were in the top 10 of PIRI 03 london calling The UK saw the largest influx of HNWI passport seekers (over 114,000) over the past 10 years, according to immigration specialist Fragomen 02 Mixed fortunes While 16 of the locations in our PIRI 100 saw double-digit prime property price growth last year, the value of luxury homes fell or remained static in almost 40% of them PIRI (PRIME INTERNATIONAL RESIDENTIAL INDEx) THE WEALTH REPORT 20153534
  • 19.
    The value ofluxury residential property around the world rose by just over 2% on average in 2014, based on the perfor- mance of the 100 locations covered by our PIRI rankings. With reversals in markets as far apart as Asia, the Middle East and Europe, growth was lower than the 2.8% seen in 2013. The US dominates the top of our table, taking four out of the top 10 positions, with New York (+18.8%) and Aspen (+16%) in first and second place respectively. The disparity with Europe’s cities is stark. Luxury prices rose by almost 13% on aver- age across US cities last year, compared with an average of only 2.5% in Europe. Bali, the leading Asian second-home market, and the emerging Middle Eastern urban powerhouse of Istanbul were stand- out performers, with luxury prices up by 15% year on year in both markets. Our previous front runner, Jakarta, which led the rankings in 2012 and 2013, slipped to 12th place this year, an indica- tion of the luxury market slowdown evi- dent across many Asian cities last year. Some previously strong markets such as Dubai (17% growth in 2013) saw prices slow markedly (0.3% in 2014). This is in part because of the mortgage cap of the Central Bank of the UAE, which is stricter for those purchasing properties above five million dirham. The dampening impact of this kind of prudent macro policy also explains the ongoing weak growth in Hong Kong and Singapore. Government policy has been deliberately aimed at limiting price rises through higher taxation and mortgage market intervention. Mainland China mirrored this trend with prime price growth in Shanghai (0%), Beijing (-0.5%) and Guangzhou (0.6%) proving lacklustre at best. Government policy has been deliberately aimed at limiting price rises through higher taxation and mortgage market intervention Buenos Aires proved our weakest per- former, but with GDP growth in negative territory in 2014, the city’s housing market tribulations are less than surprising. While the threat of Mayor de Blasio’s so-called pied-à-terre tax doesn’t appear to have dampened growth in New York, recent hikes in stamp duty (a purchase tax) have curtailed the rate of price growth for properties worth over £2m in London, holding overall prime price growth at 5.1% for the year. The latest changes to UK Stamp Duty mean higher costs for those purchasing a property priced at £937,500 or above, this may cap growth above this threshold in the near term. Despite the more muted performance of the PIRI 100 this year, luxury housing markets continue to outperform their mainstream counterparts. The average price of a luxury home in our index is 38% higher than it was at the index’s lowest point in the second quarter of 2009; the av- erage price of mainstream global property has risen by just 14% over the same period. 21 Melbourne Australasia 8.5% 22 Tokyo Asia 8.1% 23= Verbier Europe 8.0% 23= Munich Europe 8.0% 25= Vancouver North America 7.5% 25= Frankfurt Europe 7.5% 27 São Paulo Latin America 7.3% 28 Toronto North America 7.1% 29 Riyadh Middle East 6.0% 30= Seoul Asia 5.3% 30= Doha Middle East 5.3% 32= Madrid Europe 5.1% 32= London Europe 5.1% 32= Bangkok Asia 5.1% 35= Mustique Caribbean 5.0% 35= Ibiza Europe 5.0% 37 Edinburgh Europe 4.2% 38 Courchevel 1550 Europe 3.2% 39= Venice Europe 3.0% 39= Jumby Bay (Antigua) Caribbean 3.0% 39= Barcelona Europe 3.0% 39= Val d’Isère Europe 3.0% 43 Mumbai Asia 2.9% 44= Cayman Islands Caribbean 2.5% 44= Marrakesh Africa 2.5% 44= Gstaad Europe 2.5% 47= Bahamas Caribbean 2.0% 47= Morzine Europe 2.0% 47= Sotogrande Europe 2.0% 47= Chamonix Europe 2.0% 47= Western Algarve Europe 2.0% 47= Cyprus Europe 2.0% 53 Delhi Asia 1.8% 54 Rome Europe 1.5% 55 Nairobi Africa 1.4% 56 Hong Kong Asia 1.1% 57 Phuket Asia 0.7% 58 Guangzhou Asia 0.6% 59 Kuala Lumpur Asia 0.5% 60 Dubai Middle East 0.3% 61= St Barts Caribbean 0.0% 61= Shanghai Asia 0.0% 63= Central Algarve Europe -0.5% 63= Beijing Asia -0.5% 65 Taipei Asia -1.2% 66 Méribel Europe -1.5% 67= Megève Europe -2.0% 67= Italian Riviera Europe -2.0% 67= Monaco Europe -2.0% 67= Florence Europe -2.0% 67= Geneva Europe -2.0% 67= St Moritz Europe -2.0% 67= Cap Ferrat Europe -2.0% 74= Evian Europe -3.0% 74= Marbella Europe -3.0% 74= Mallorca Europe -3.0% 74= Barbados Caribbean -3.0% 74= Provence Europe -3.0% 74= Lake Como Europe -3.0% 74= Vienna Europe -3.0% 74= Brussels Europe -3.0% 74= Davos Europe -3.0% 83 Paris Europe -3.5% 84 Moscow Russia/CIS -3.7% 85= Cannes Europe -4.0% 85= Tuscany Europe -4.0% 87= St-Tropez Europe -5.0% 87= Lausanne Europe -5.0% 87= Villars-sur-Ollon Europe -5.0% 90 Courchevel 1850 Europe -5.4% 91 Dordogne Europe -6.0% 92= British Virgin Islands Caribbean -7.0% 92= Umbria Europe -7.0% 94= Sardinia Europe -8.0% 94= Zurich Europe -8.0% 96 Cortina Europe -10.0% 97 Milan Europe -12.0% 98 Singapore Asia -12.4% 99= Crans-Montana Europe -15.0% 99= Buenos Aires Latin America -15.0% The PIRI 100 The latest results of our Prime International Residential Index, which marks the change in price of prime residential property in 100 cities and second-home locations (annual percent growth to 31 December 2014*) *All price changes relate to local currency and reflect nominal change. Data for Moscow, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Miami and Riyadh relates to the period from Q3 2013 to Q3 2014. Data for Tel Aviv relates to the period from Nov 2013 to Nov 2014. Tokyo relates to properties above JPY 100m. US shines as global growth falls Analysis of the latest trends to emerge from Knight Frank’s unique Prime International Residential Index (PIRI) Kate Everett-Allen, Head of International Residential Research Rank Location World Region Annual % change 1 New York North America 18.8% 2 Aspen North America 16.0% 3= Bali Asia 15.0% 3= Istanbul Middle East 15.0% 5 Abu Dhabi Middle East 14.7% 6 San Francisco North America 14.3% 7 Dublin Europe 13.4% 8= Cape Town Africa 13.2% 8= Muscat Middle East 13.2% 10 Los Angeles North America 13.0% 11 Auckland Australasia 12.1% 12 Jakarta Asia 11.2% 13 Sydney Australasia 11.0% 14 Tel Aviv Middle East 10.3% 15 Bengaluru Asia 10.1% 16 Amsterdam Europe 10.0% 17 Miami North America 9.8% 18 Berlin Europe 9.0% 19= Washington DC North America 8.7% 19= Johannesburg Africa 8.7% Top20 Sources: All data from Knight Frank’s global network with the exception of: Aspen – Andrew Ernemann of Sotheby’s International Realty; Washington DC – Metropolitan Regional Information Systems, Inc. Statistics generated on 06/01/2015, ©Copyright 2015. All rights reserved. Information deemed reliable but not guaranteed;Tokyo – Ken Corporation; São Paulo – FIPE (Fundação Instituto de Pesquisas Econômicas); Los Angeles and San Francisco – First Republic Bank;Vancouver – Dexter Associates Realty Rising high Prime property values in New York are soaring Annual price change by world region, to 31 December 2014 North America 11.9% Latin America -3.9% Europe -0.4% Africa 6.5% Middle East 9.3% Caribbean 0.4% Russia/CIS -3.7% Asia 3.0% Australasia 10.5% PIRI (Prime international residential index) the wealth report 20153736
  • 20.
    Since Knight Frankpublished the first edition of The Wealth Report in 2007, a relatively simple narrative – undented by even the global financial crisis – has domi- nated our analysis of global luxury resi- dential markets. Growing wealth creation has led to an increasing number of buyers, from an ever-widening list of countries, purchasing property in a growing number of global hubs. With the arrival in 2014 of significant volumes of wealthy Chinese investors in markets around the world, it seems an odd time to question the sustainability of this trend. There is, however, a risk in as- suming that the globalisation of demand is a one-way bet, as signs of protectionism are growing. Immigration, a classic driver for international property investment by UHNWIs, and a subject we look at in detail on p42, is an arena where we are seeing rising counter-trends. In 2014 Russia, for example, imposed reporting requirements on nationals seek- ing permanent residence or citizenship in other countries, backed by criminal sanctions. Some recipient countries have tightened access to residency, notably Switzerland, which has seen a range of restrictions on UHNWI immigration over recent years. We have commented in previous edi- tions of The Wealth Report on the adop- tion of new taxes or restrictions aimed specifically at non-resident purchasers, most notably in Singapore and Hong Kong. Other countries are copying this model. The UK will see the withdrawal of the capital gains tax exemption for non- residents in April this year, with the introduction of higher annual charges for residential property held in corporate structures, traditionally favoured by wealthy overseas buyers. In cities like New York and Paris new property taxes have been considered. Despite these protectionist reactions, the overall direction of travel favours more, not less, international demand for prime residential property. There are a wide range of factors underpinning additional globalisation. Short-term geopolitical and fiscal factors still dominate, the flight of capital from southern Europe during the eurozone crisis in 2010 and 2011 is just one example. potential for demand growth from main- land China, but massive private wealth has not yet diversified globally; rather its migration has been hampered by foreign- exchange controls. There has been a general acceptance that over time, restrictions on pension investments and even direct investments for Chinese citizens will be relaxed, and more money will be invested overseas. We might want to question this assumption for a moment. Since the financial crisis the list of countries that have imposed tougher controls on the free flow of capital, even if only temporarily, has grown longer – India, Ghana, Cyprus, Ukraine, with more to come. There has been a shift away from the assumed direc- tion of travel – of more-liberal trading conditions. Even if China does liberalise, the huge potential for Chinese investment flows to influence asset prices globally highlights the tension between our globalisation and protectionism themes. Rising demand from emerging-world wealth has the potential to lead to a stronger political and regulatory backlash in the main global investment hubs – if asset prices and affordability issues rise strongly as a result. But long-term trends, such as the growing appetite for international education, and the pull of stable political, economic and regulatory safe havens, are responsible for the most durable ongoing demand sources. The strength of London’s education offer has long underpinned demand for the city’s property. A decade ago Russian, Middle Eastern or European children mov- ing into London schools would be starting at age 13. Rising competition for places at 13 means a starting age of seven or eight is increasingly the norm. London is not the sole education target. There is a growing desire for UHNWIs to craft a global education experience – school in the UK or Australia, university in the US, postgraduate study or MBA in Europe – creating global citizens in terms of language, location and education. And at every stage there will almost inevitably be a property requirement. Rising demand from emerging-world wealth has the potential to lead to a stronger political and regulatory backlash in the main global investment hubs Although rules surrounding the im- migration process are tightening in some locations, the general trend is for more countries, especially indebted European ones, to try to attract new wealthy resi- dents. Although it can be a challenge for countries to create high-value immigration schemes and meet tough compliance safeguards, more will undoubtedly try. Perhaps the biggest trend that would contribute to our globalisation narrative winning out against protectionism is the lifting of capital controls in wealth-export- ing countries. Effective demand for luxury international property would be far higher than it currently is if it weren’t for red tape and bureaucratic limitations such as foreign exchange controls, as experienced in India and China, for example. China is the most instructive, but not unique, example to consider. The simple fact is that there is extraordinary Opposing forces The tension between protectionism and globalisation in residential markets is impacting market performance LIAM BAILEY, Global Head of Research Source: See main PIRI table on page 37. *Based on apartments only PIRI price change by property type in 2014 -0.9% -0.5% 4.5% Second home – ski Second home – sun City There are, however, two potential future approaches to release this tension. Firstly there is a politically restrictive approach, with more taxation and regula- tions aimed at non-resident investors. By asking for notification of second passports, Russia has confirmed how restrictions can easily come from the wealth-exporting nations. China could introduce a wealth tax on outbound capital flows or even a worldwide tax regime. Alternatively, it is just as likely that China will enter into greater cooperation on information exchange – regarding taxation and by which China, and others, will ultimately join in the wider policing of global wealth. This shift towards increased global cooperation over taxation and transparency, and the sharing of investor details, would see a greater alignment of costs and benefits between wealth-expor- ting countries and the investment destina- tion countries – which could ultimately support long-term growth in investment. The square metres of luxury property US$1m will buy Monaco Hong Kong* London New York Singapore Geneva Sydney* Shanghai Paris Beijing Rome Moscow Istanbul Tokyo Mumbai São Paulo Dubai Cape Town Miami Los Angeles 17 20 21 34 39 39 41 48 50 57 59 61 68 79 84 86 96 142 145 204 Five global prime residential hotspots London St John Street, Clerkenwell. This area has led the loft-living trend for over 30 years. We see the demand for loft accommodation increasing. Scarcity will drive pricing, as will Crossrail, with the nearby Farringdon station providing access to this key invest- ment location. The Tech City association will also drive the continued growth of high-quality shopping and restaurants. Typical 700 sq ft apartment – US$1.3m New York West Street in Manhattan is one to watch. The street will form the new residential entrance to Brookfield Place, adjacent to the new World Trade Center complex, and will be lined with world-class restaurants and luxury retail brands. West Street is a leader for the whole downtown market, which is set for a boost over the next few years; value growth here should outpace the rest of New York by some margin. Typical 1,500 sq ft apartment –US$2.7m Cape Town Main Road, Green Point, Cape Town. The local area was initially boosted by the legacy of the World Cup, and huge invest- ment was put into upgrading local infra- structure, such as developing parks, roads and a transport system. On the back of this, restaurateurs such as Manos and Beluga have improved the local lifestyle offer. Add in world-class sports facilities, access to the waterfront, the city centre and views of Table Mountain and this is the street to watch in 2015. Typical 700 sq ft apartment – US$200,000 Dubai Business Bay, Dubai. Work has started on building a channel connecting the sea to the existing lake that lies in front of the Burj Khalifa.This will allow access for superyachts and sailing boats to the bay. Construction of large towers lining the channel is under way, providing residences with the unique benefit of mooring facilities in this central location. Typical 1,500 sq ft apartment – US$680,000 Hong Kong Our tip for Hong Kong is the Sai Ying Pun neighbourhood.It is within close walking distance to central Hong Kong but retains local charm.The area is near galleries,good shops and excellent local restaurants.While more residential buildings have started to be developed in the area,there are still many opportunities for redevelopment. Typical 700 sq ft apartment – US$1.9m PIRI (Prime international residential index) the wealth report 20153938
  • 21.
    With its densityof wealth and internal economic linkages, the US remains the world’s most important private jet market by some distance, according to private avi- ation provider NetJets. This dominance is borne out when we consider the globe’s busiest private jet routes, where 60% of the traffic starts and ends in the US. NetJets confirms that Europe is the second-largest market, at around 25% of the US. Russia continues to represent a significant portion of overall European demand. Moscow is among the top 10 routes with highest hours flown, as re- corded by NetJets, reflecting the ongoing importance of Russian wealth in luxury property markets in Europe and the US. London’s standout performance in Europe as an investment destination is confirmed by the fact that 30% of the most frequented routes in this region either start or finish in the UK’s capital city. NetJets reports that the synergy between New York and London is greater than ever, with traffic on this major route increasing every year. While Dubai and the broader UAE are seeing increasing traffic, the Middle East’s position as the world’s third-largest market is being challenged by the rise of traffic in China and Brazil. Traffic from Brazil to Europe has grown 20% each year since 2010, with the main destinations inclu- ding France, Spain, Portugal and the UK – reflected by luxury property investment purchases by Brazilian buyers during 2014. Africa is a more fragmented market, although Nigeria has become a major private jet hub – with flights to and from Lagos making it into our list of the top 10 fastest-growing global routes. Anticipating wealth flows from one part of the world to another has become an industry in itself. The insight of FASTEST- GROWING ROUTE Nice/Côte d’Azur New York FlY aWaY Using exclusive NetJets data, The Wealth Report looks at the most popular private jet routes and assesses their impact on wealth migration and property investment destinations WHo Is flYInG? Over 80% of private jet passengers are male. The typical age for flyers is 40-55. Private entrepreneurs dominate in terms of profession. Source of wealth tends to be from finance and the oil and gas sectors. NetJets reports that flyers from the property industry have returned in the past 12 months, joined by owners of technology companies. NetJets shines some light on the latest trends. There is a clear synergy between established market routes and investment flows – with London and New York dis- playing one of the closest prime property relationships as well as flight paths. The most insightful data comes when we look at emerging-market demand. Latin American investment in Europe, for example, has long been overshadowed by the huge waves of investment flow- ing into Miami and other US hotspots. The breadth of routes flown into key EU markets from Brazil, but also Argentina and other key southern American hubs, reveals a closer relationship between these markets than is often recognised. The huge potential for demand for property in Europe, and also in North America, from investors based in Asia, Africa, the Middle East and Latin America is hinted at by the new growth routes highlighted by the NetJets data. This page: HIGH FLIERS Private jet usage by UHNWIs is increasing Opposite page: SO NICE The Côte d’Azur is one of the most popular desitinations for private jet charters Source: NetJets/Eurocontrol/SAS Maiquetía Dubai Pittsburgh Houston Moscow Houston Lagos Austin Houston Nice/Côte d’Azur Miami New York* Midland (Texas) London Houston Washington DC Tel Aviv New York* West Palm Beach London *Teterboro, New Jersey Miami New York* New York* London London London Chicago Houston West Palm Beach Moscow New York* Nice/Côte d’Azur Nice/Côte d’Azur New York* New York* New York** Moscow West Palm Beach New York* Los Angeles*** *Teterboro, New Jersey **Westchester/White Plains, New York ***Van Nuys Private jet traffic: top 10 routes (2013) Private jet traffic: top 10 fastest-growing routes (2013) DePartUre BOarD cHIna PoTenTIal China’s current absence from our top 10 relates to the embryonic nature of its private jet market.However,growth potential in the near term is significant – jet manufacturer Bombardier fore- casts that the Greater China private jet fleet is likely to grow from 330 to 1,275 aircraft by 2023. NetJets, the first international op- erator to have secured a Chinese air operating certificate to operate in mainland China, believes that intra- China flights are likely to concentrate initially on three major metropolitan areas:Beijing,ShanghaiandHongKong. snoWBelT and sUnBelT desTInaTIons In a relatively flat market both Olbia in Sardinia (+14%) and Ibiza (+17%) have seen very strong annual increases in trafficoverthepast12months,confirm- ingtheirgrowingimportanceassummer holiday and second-home hubs. Nice remains a major destination, likewise the airport of St-Tropez, where flying into La Môle is now possible. Growth in traffic to Alpine airports,such asSionandChambéry,pointstoarevival indemandforpropertyinnearbyresorts like Verbier, St Moritz and Courchevel. Private jet traffic to destinations like the Maldives, the Caribbean and the Seychelles confirms the growing strength of property in long- distance resorts. PIRI (PRIME INTERNATIONAL RESIDENTIAL INDEx) THE WEALTH REPORT 20154140
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    Anyone watching London’sstellar residential market performance will be unsurprised to hear that the UK has been a top recipient of mobile HNWIs over the past decade. According to Nadine Goldfoot, a part- ner at Fragomen, over 60% of these have been from Europe, but with substantial numbers also coming from China, Russia, India, the Middle East (especially Saudi Arabia, Syria and Turkey) and Africa (led by South Africa, Nigeria and Egypt). More recently, 309 of the 703 applications in the first nine months of 2014 for the UK’s Tier 1 investor visa were from China, with 162 coming from Russia. Singapore has seen strong migration of HNWIs from China, India and Indonesia. Flows into the US predominantly come from the UK, India and Russia, although Fragomen’s worldwide client practice notes that the US EB-5 programme saw record applicant numbers from China in 2014. Demand for entry to Australia has been boosted by strong inflows from across the Asia-Pacific region (India, China, Indonesia), as well as the UK, Europe and South Africa. As of January 2015 the Hong Kong CIES programme, which was especially popular with HNWIs from China, has been suspended, leaving clients from the region in need of sus- tainable alternatives. Restrictions on confidentiality rules in Switzerland have removed some options for the mobile wealthy, and Fragomen notes a number of HNWIs who had been domiciled in Switzerland for tax purposes have relocated to Singapore, the UK or the UAE. There has been growing specula- tion over the success of the more recent entrants to the investor immigration market – most of them in Europe. Fragomen has noticed a sizeable uptake in programmes linked to property purchases in Europe – across Spain, Portugal and Latvia. Malta’s Individual Investor Progr- a-mme introduced in February 2014 had Demand will increasingly be driven by international developers The world’s largest residential developers, led by players from China, India, Hong Kong and Malaysia, continue to diver- sify into new markets. Where Greenland Group, Swire, China Vanke Co and Lodha Group lead, they are followed by private compatriot investors looking to dip their toe into international investment – with the reassurance of buying from a familiar brand. Watch for Hong Kong buyers in Mi- ami, and Chinese buyers on the Australian Gold Coast and the US West Coast – and just about every nationality in London and New York. Some buyers will find the market less welcoming Pressure from any number of bodies – the EU, the US and the OECD included – on low tax jurisdictions to comply with trans- parency rulings is acting in concert with ever-tighter regulations aimed at reducing the risk of money laundering. Similarly, while EU and US restrictions on Russia over the Ukraine crisis may have been tightly drawn in terms of named individu- als with whom to avoid doing business, the somewhat vague wording in the regula- tions has caused professional advisors to become increasingly risk-averse in terms of whom they work with. Banks in par- ticular will simply not risk falling short of regulatory standards. There are a small but growing number of potential buyers who will find it increasingly difficult to access foreign property markets. Government stimulus will be with us for longer That ultra-low interest rates and govern- ment stimulus measures have aided de- mand for residential property, as with just about every other tangible asset, is a given. A year ago the assumption was that it was only a matter of time before interest rates would begin to rise across the developed world. A year on and the continued fragi- lity of the eurozone recovery and broader concerns over the global economy have meant that policy tightening has been pushed further into 2015 and even into 2016. It appears that the support for global demand and the ability of purchasers to push prices higher will be with us for some while yet. Technology will reinforce the globali- sation of demand In last year’s edition of The Wealth Report we discussed the potential impact of sub- orbital travel on property demand over the next 10 to 20 years. More immediate support for global demand is likely to come from improvements to traditional jet technology. Several companies such as Aerion, Spike Aerospace, Lockheed Mar- tin and Boeing are working to reintroduce a more affordable and sustainable supersonic replacement for Concorde. UK Singapore US Australia Hong Kong Canada UAE HNWIs 2013Country HNWIs gained from 2003 to 2013 (as a percentage of total HNWI population) 114,100 (14%) (20%) (1%) (14%) (12%) (5%) (21%) 45,000 815,000 225,000 158,300 164,500 272,900 48,300 4,034,000 42,400 22,200 19,700 13,600 10,100 Countries with the biggest inflows of HNWIs (past 10 years) China India France Italy Russia Switzerland Indonesia HNWIs 2013Country HNWIs lost from 2003 to 2013 (as a percentage of total HNWI population) 76,200 (15%) (27%)43,400 507,800 160,600 124,000 82,300 265,800 37,000 244,100 (13%)31,700 (15%)18,600 (17%)14,000 (4%)10,600 (27%)10,000 Countries with the biggest outflows of HNWIs (past 10 years) received over 200 applications by August 2014, with applicants from 30 countries, but mostly from Russia. Official figures show over 1,936 visas were issued in the first 12 months of Portugal’s Golden Visa programme. Here the vast majority of applicants have been from China, representing close to 80% of total demand. The biggest story in terms of wealth-ex- porting nations is undoubtedly China. It is estimated that 76,200 Chinese millionaires emigrated or acquired alternative citizen- ship over the 10 years to 2013. They are a significant force in Europe and dominate Asia-Pacific schemes – with around 90% of applicants for Australia’s Significant Inves- tor visa coming from China. India’s wealthy migrants tend to favour the UK, the US and Australia. French and Italian HNWIs prefer the UK and Swit- zerland. Some 73,000 Russians received foreign passports in 2013/14, the majority of the HNWIs among them focusing on the UK and the US. Reducing the London to New York travel time from seven hours to three and a half is the first ambitious objective. New buyers will help boost demand in established and emerging prime markets Mexico, Indonesia, Nigeria and Turkey will be among the biggest suppliers of UHNWIs hungry to buy luxury inter- national property. Although Mexican nationals tend to move into the US, they are positive about European opportuni- ties, with some notable investments made in Spain and Germany in 2014. Turkey is a growth market, although because of ongo- ing problems around banking licences and restrictions on capital flows, real demand has been held below potential levels. Indonesian buyers will become a much more serious force in Australia and the wider Asia-Pacific region in 2015. While Nigerian buyers will still form a strong sector of the market in key cities like London and New York, they will increase their activity closer to home in South Africa and Mauritius. Passports, please HNWI migration is a major influence on the global luxury property market. Using research provided by global immigration specialist Fragomen, we examine the directions of travel Future prime property trends The main factors that are likely to drive prime residential markets over the short and long term LIAM BAILEY, Global Head of Research Source: Fragomen using data from New World Wealth survey Gold Standard Australia’s east coast is attracting a new wave of Asian residential investors PIRI (Prime international residential index) the wealth report 20154342
  • 23.
    He asks meif I’ve ever been to the Val d’Orcia, a UNESCO world heritage site, largely unchanged since the 15th century. I’ve not, so I mention another area in Tus- cany that I have visited and considered very beautiful. “It is nice there,” he replies politely, “but it’s not the same. Del Bosco is somewhere very special. All you can see is green, green and green, and nothing to ruin the view of the landscape.” Originally, the plan was to turn the estate into a very exclusive private mem- bers’ club. However, in the wake of the financial crisis, Mr Ferragamo changed his model. The estate is still very exclu- sive, but visitors can now stay in the hotel and villas and join Italy’s only private golf club, which is located on the property. A number of the estate’s villas have also been sold to an international range of buyers. “We renovate the villas for the owners, and when the owners are not in residence, we manage all aspects of the property.” The process of rejuvenating the estate, which dates back to the 10th century, has clearly been a labour of love. “You cannot own a property like this without it having a purpose. You have to create a synergy for all its elements – the land, the build- ings, the vineyards – to bring it back to life again.” After we’ve talked and just as The Wealth Report is about to go to press, Mr Ferragamo gets in touch to let me know that Rosewood Hotels and Resorts, after careful consideration, has been appointed to manage the estate’s hotel and villas. Massimo Ferragamo’s life seems to divide neatly in two. Not only does he split his time between Italy and the US – “I was sent there to work for the Ferragamo busi- ness when I was 25”– but in each country he likes to move between homes in the city and the countryside. In Italy he owns a house in Florence – “the most beautiful city in world, where I was born” – as well as Castiglion del Bosco, a 5,000-acre estate in the Val d’Orcia region of Tuscany. Stateside he has an apartment in Manhattan and a “They immediately recognised and respected that Castiglion del Bosco is deeply rooted in the Tuscan way of life.” As well as his cherished Tuscan estate, Mr Ferragamo is also involved with his family’s wider property portfolio, which includes five boutique luxury hotels in Florence and Rome – “They are doing very well, so we might open outside of Italy” – and the freehold of many of the Ferragamo shops around the world. “Real estate became second nature to us almost by chance. We’re allergic to paying rent,” he says. I ask if he has a philosophy when it comes to investing.“I call it the three Ls – I have to love something, it has to be in a good location and the investment has to be for the long term. If you stick to those rules in real estate you’ll never lose.” “As a family we don’t speculate. There is not a speculative piece of DNA in our bodies. When you speculate it’s like musi- cal chairs – if the music stops and you don’t have somewhere to sit, you’ve got a problem,” he adds firmly. Personal perspectives on property The Wealth Report Editor Andrew Shirley talks to MASSIMO FERRAGAMO about homes, property investments and an unusual collection country house in Millbrook, a small vil- lage in upstate New York referred to as a low-key version of the Hamptons. “I love the contrast between the city and the countryside,” he explains. “They are quite different, and I really like that.” But, I ask, if you had to make a choice? “If I was forced to choose I would say I prefer the countryside,” he concedes after a mo- ment’s thought. He brushes off my surprise that he doesn’t also own a waterside property like many other UHNWIs or a ski chalet, especially as his wife skied for the Italian national team. He says he likes to keep things simple. “To be honest, a collection of houses can also be a collection of headaches,” he says, “and there are so many lovely places around the world to stay and ski. The whole family is also a great lover of boats, so we prefer to actually be on the water, not just looking at it.” Helping people avoid the problems often associated with second-home ownership was one of the reasons behind the development of the Castiglion del Bosco estate, which he stumbled across by chance when looking for somewhere to make wine. He certainly wasn’t looking for a project of that scale – the estate in- cluded many medieval buildings in need of renovation – but he fell in love with it. As a family we don’t speculate. There is not a speculative piece of DNA in our bodies. When you speculate it’s like musical chairs To be honest, a collection of houses can also be a collection of headaches MASSIMO FERRAGAMO As a scion of one of Italy’s, if not the world’s, most influential and successful fashion dynasties, Massimo Ferragamo has style in his DNA. The sixth and youngest child of Salvatore Ferragamo, who rose to fame creating shoes for the stars of Hollywood in the 1920s, Massimo is Chairman of Ferragamo USA, and pursues personal and family projects in his native Tuscany. MASSIMOMASSIMO FERRAGAMO MASSIMO FERRAGAMO MASSIMO FERRAGAMO MASSIMO FERRAGAMO MASSIMO FERRAGAMO MASSIMO FERRAGAMO MASSIMO FERRAGAMO MASSIMO FERRAGAMO MASSIMO FERRAGAMO MASSIMO FERRAGAMOFERRAGAMOFERRAGAMOFERRAGAMOFERRAGAMOFERRAGAMO Given that Mr Ferragamo has such a peripatetic lifestyle, I wonder if he has time for any other investments of pas- sion apart from property – maybe art or classic cars. “As a family we own art, al- though I’m not really a collector myself,” he says. But as befits somebody who likes to make his own rules when investing in property, it turns out that he does have a suitably individual collection that takes pride of place in his Florentine study. “I do love sports, so I like to buy an- tique silver trophies. You can get a nice surprise when you turn them over and see they were made by Mappin & Webb, Asprey or Garrard.” His favourite, he says, is a huge 1904 silver charity shield from England, once competed for by a team called the Corinthians against the winners of the then equivalent of the Premier League. Although he “hates to overpay” for anything, Mr Ferragamo says, as with prop- erty, you have to like what you buy and be prepared to hold it, and then in the long term it will prove to be a good investment. LABOUR OF LOVE Castiglion del Bosco in Tuscany’s Val d’Orcia WELL-HEELED The Ferragamo Museum in Florence PIRI (PRIME INTERNATIONAL RESIDENTIAL INDEX) THE WEALTH REPORT 20154544
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    PROPERTy INVESTMENT 46 UHNWIappetite for property increases In the 2014 edition of The Wealth Report, almost half of the wealth advisors who took part in our annual Attitudes Survey said that their UHNWI clients would po- tentially increase their investment alloca- tion to property during the year. In this year’s survey, almost 40% of respondents said that had actually happened. Property is definitely back on the agenda for private investors, who ac- counted for around a quarter of all com- mercial property deals last year, as well as residential investments. Tracking the ex- act proportion is difficult because many transactions, while essentially funded by an UHNWI, are fronted by a family- owned fund, company or private office. The tangible nature of property, especially when located in leading cities such as London, is one of its enduring attractions. But UHNWIs are now looking beyond prime or trophy offices and retail space as a safe haven for their funds; they are prepared to look up the risk curve to non-core locations. This may mean moving outside a capital city’s CBD area, where yields have become increasingly compressed, or heading into secondary cities where bet- ter value and higher returns are available. Increasingly for many UHNWIs it also means investing overseas. The results of our Capital Markets Survey show that wealthy investors are allocating more of their funds to property investments out- side their own country. More peripheral markets such as Ireland and Spain are benefiting from this trend. Demand for alternative property assets is also growing, and is leading to more private investment into business-critical opportunities like health care and student accommodation. UHNWIs are adopting increasingly sophisticated investment strategies, and sometimes this approach involves the kind of active management previously restricted to institutions and funds. Examples include refurbishment and development projects. Goodwin Gaw, who we interview at the end of this chapter, is one of Asia’s lead- ing property investors and exemplifies this value-add approach. Where others may see down-at-heel neighbourhoods, he sees opportunities for regeneration and social change. According to our latest Attitudes Survey results, the UHNWI hunger for property as an investment remains undimmed. Falling oil prices should free up more capital to be spent on consumer goods, which should in turn present more property opportunities to feed the increasingly hungry private investor. 01 Commercially minded An estimated $619bn of commercial property deals was transacted in 2014, a 7% increase on the previous year 03 Global flow UHNWIs are increasing the amounts they invest overseas, according to the results of our Capital Markets Survey 02 Big deal UHNWIs were active in the market during 2014, accounting for over $150bn of commercial transactions. The biggest was the $1.15bn purchase of london’s “Gherkin” by a wealthy Brazilian family Global trends and markets: the need-to-know guide for UHNWI property investors PROPERTy INVESTMENT 46PROPERTy INVESTMENT THE WEAlTH REPORT 20154746
  • 25.
    Forecast global investment volumes(US$bn) 2017 2016 2015 657 704 770 Global property investment in 2014 466 153 Institutional Private By sector (US$bn) By investor type (US$bn) By region (US$bn) Hotel 64 Retail 161 Industrial 87 Office 307 North America 286 Europe 228 Asia-Pacific 125 Rest of world 8 Source: RCA, Knight Frank Research Note: Knight Frank Research estimates for 2014, and forecasts for 2015 to 2017, are based on RCA data. the equivalent of adding 18 new corpora- tions the size of General Motors. China is far from a busted flush and actually some- where to look for long-term opportunities. That office rents have edged back rather than slumped in Shanghai and Beijing dur- ing challenging market conditions bodes well for the long term, so I see resilience in key centres. India’s property market has experi- enced a marked slowdown. However, on a recent trip to Mumbai I was struck by the energising effect of the reformist Modi gov- ernment on the business community. The Knight Frank India Real Estate Sentiment Index reflects this, with confidence in the property industry nearly doubling in 2014. Dubai’s commercial property is often overshadowed by the residential market. However, office rents are showing tentative signs of recovery, and Jebel Ali has been de- clared the world’s most productive port by the Journal of Commerce, while passenger numbers at Dubai’s international airport continue to rise. This suggests the core economic areas of tourism, trade and travel are performing well. North America saw a strong increase in sales volume in 2014 (+8%). New York and San Francisco are established in a new cycle, so investments need to have a value- add angle, such as development or refur- bishment, or be a safe income counterbal- ance to riskier investments elsewhere. In the US, CBD vacancy rates are lower than in suburban areas. However, those suburban office locations with good transport connections to CBD areas, and a mixed-use setting, are performing better. This could offer opportunities to those comfortable with a higher-risk profile. Europe enjoyed an impressive rebound in investment last year, with investors re-entering the markets that suffered most in the 2010 to 2012 period, like Spain and Ireland. In 2012 Spain saw just three deals of over €100m; last year there were 16. The core eurozone economies of France and Germany were largely stag- nant in 2014. However, property in the gateway city of Paris has mostly defied the gloom, and plans to develop new rail infrastructure will create future devel- opment hotspots. Berlin has a vibrant technology scene and a relatively low cost of living for young workers. I see more incubators for start-ups being developed. UHNWIs are now an important force in the commercial property world and are operating at all levels – prime, secondary, development and change of use. Opportu- nities are opening up as the global econo- my moves into a new cycle. Development in particular is rising up the agenda in the real estate world, and UHNWIs will be part of the new wave of building. refinery blues The slump in oil prices may be bad news for producers, but it could benefit property markets Commercial real estate in 2015 In a constantly changing world UHNWIs are finding value by investing ambitiously in commercial real estate JAMES ROBERTS, Chief Economist Source: RCA, Knight Frank Research Today UHNWIs are as sophisticated as many institutional investors, reflecting that many have long- established real estate portfolios If I had to pick a single word that could ap- ply right across the global economy at this time it would have to be “uncertainty”. This is why investors are looking at real estate. For the investor in the Middle East it is uncertainty over the situation in Iraq and Syria. To the European or Japanese inves- tor it is the move towards QE and whether this will end stagnation. Conversely, the American or Briton faces uncertainty on how best to invest to capitalise on an unfolding recovery. A real estate investor knows that if the lean years are to continue, one buys the safe prime assets, like offices in Manhat- tan or shops on the Champs-Élysées. If the economy is about to improve, the riskier but higher-yielding properties are where opportunities lie. The game changer For me the slump in oil prices that started in 2014 is a game changer for the econo- my, and also for property investment. The world today uses more oil in four months than it did during the whole of the Second World War. The global oil bill in 2014 was bigger than the GDP of Brazil but will be less in 2015. The fall in price will result in a huge transfer of money. Consumers will have more to spend, and firms more to invest. Yet despite the rise in spending, inflation will stay in check as energy is such an influence on other prices. This comes at a time when real estate investors are already adopting a higher- risk profile. We estimate global commer- cial real estate sales volume increased by 7% in 2014 to around US$619bn in 2014, with value-add assets increasingly popu- lar. Value-add is any building where the purchaser can grow the investment return via construction, changing to another use like residential, or signing up higher- paying tenants. I see global sales rising by another 6% in 2015, with value-add rising further up the agenda. Private investors are following the trend towards risk, which was not typical of previous property market cycles. Tradi- tionally, the private investor has targeted prime assets, but last year a quarter of global commercial sales were to private buyers, despite the move towards risk in evidence in many markets. Today UHNWIs are as sophisticated as many institutional investors, reflect- ing that many have long-established real estate portfolios. Moreover, in our digital age private investors are able to access a wealth of global information to inform their decisions. In 2015 we expect to see more private money in the value-add asset market. Where next? In the cities that have led the recovery, like London, New York and San Francisco, the skylines are peppered with cranes. Since the Olympics London has added seven new skyscrapers. In these cities higher-risk investment strategies are now in play, so real estate investors are asking where next they should buy to best ride the recovery. A good starting point has to be the places that have been struggling up to now. Commercial property sales in Asia- Pacific fell by 5% in 2014. The region’s two rising giants, India and China, are indica- tive of trends in the broader region. In China the land market has seen sales drop by 22%, which is understandable in a country that has built “ghost cities” in the past. China is adapting to a new pace of growth, but the country’s projected GDP increase this year from the IMF is about Top five private investor deals of 2014 Type: Office City: London Buyer: Safra Group US$1,152m 30 St Mary Axe US$ 350m Type: Retail City: Moscow Buyer:The Gutserievy brothers Novinsky Passage US$336m Type: Hotel City: Worldwide Buyer:Adrian Zecha in JV with Peak Hotels and Resorts Aman Resorts US$226m Type: Office City:Toronto Buyer: Amancio Ortega Type: Office City: Frankfurt Buyer: Susanne Klatten WINX–The Riverside Tower US$436m Renaissance Plaza property investment the wealth report 20154948
  • 26.
    Market performance Looking atthe ongoing performance of commercial property markets, most of our capital markets teams expect prices to hold firm or increase slightly this year. But the outlook for Russia is more bearish, with commercial values predicted to de- crease significantly in 2015. At the other end of the spectrum, Spanish markets are set to continue their rebound with prices increasing significantly. Australia is also expecting an uptick buoyed by strong de- mand from Asian investors. It will be interesting to see how the European Central Bank’s quantitative eas- ing experiment unfolds. In other parts of the world QE measures have driven sig- nificant investment flows into alternative asset classes, such as property. From my own experience, I think property invest- ment will increasingly be considered more mainstreamandlessalternativebyUHNWIs. property investing, while others may be from a particular diaspora investing back into their homelands – for example, US- domiciled Indians, and ex-pat Kenyans. Those based in less stable parts of the world are often seeking a safe-haven for their wealth. This safe-haven theme is also reflected in the preferred locations and sectors for those UHNWIs investing outside their own countries. The UK, and London in particular, was the most popular first- choice destination. Germany was at the top of the list for UK-based wealthy individuals and was a popular second for other European UHNWIs. For Asian investors, Australia and the US were leading second or third choice destinations. A Chinese UHNWI, for example, has just bought 175 Liverpool Street, a Grade A office building in Sydney’s CBD, for AU$400m. Office buildings were the dominant commercial investment sector of choice, however, there is still demand for residential buildings, particularly from UHNWIs making their first foray into property investment. Alex Foshay, of our New York Capital Markets team, highlights Miami, which attracts a lot of interest from Latin American UHNWIs, as a case in point. Demand has mainly been focused on condominium developments, but private investors are now starting to look at more commercial sectors. In terms of inbound investment from UHNWIs from other countries, there are some interesting patterns. China is not seeing an increase in the number of private individuals looking to invest in property there. The same pattern is repeated for Hong Kong and Singapore. The uncertainty around the extent of the Chinese economic slowdown is clearly having an impact. For the UK and France, the Middle East is the source of most private invest- ment, although those from other parts of the world are making their presence felt, notably Brazilian billionaire Joseph Safra who purchased London’s “Gherkin”. In Australia, the US and Africa, wealthy Chinese investors are currently the most significant overseas investors. Tony Galetti, Head of Knight Frank South Africa, says the growth of UHNWI Chinese investment into South Africa has been impressive over the past few years. There is a strong preference for indus- trial property, he points out, with large industrial area, of greater Johannesburg that have been virtually all bought up by private Chinese investors. There have also been several trophy purchases, including a prominent Sandton skyscraper as well as several notable wine farms in the Western Cape region. In the US, gateway cities, particularly New York and San Francisco, are attract- ing not just Chinese investment, but also interest from Korean, Israeli and Middle Eastern UHNWI, says Alex Foshay. One of the clear trends to emerge is the increasingly global nature of private investments Africa calling Cities like Johannesburg are attracting significant numbers of Chinese UHNWI investors In my role advising high-net-worth inves- tors from around the world, it is clear that the demand for property as an investment class is increasing rapidly. To help analyse the global property investment activities of UHNWIs in more detail, The Wealth Report conducted a survey of Knight Frank’s Capital Markets teams in key locations around the world to find out where and what the super- wealthy are buying. One of the clear trends to emerge is the increasingly global nature of private investments. UHNWIs still hold most of their property investments in their own country, but in the vast majority of the locations surveyed, wealthy private indi- viduals have been increasing the amount invested overseas. Some are diversifying their portfo- lios as they gain more experience with UHNWI propertyinvestment goes global Key trends from the results of The Wealth Report Global Capital Markets Survey Deborah Watt, Head of Global Wealth Investments Predicted change in commercial property values in 2015 The Wealth Report Global Capital Markets Survey 2015 UHNWI commercial property portfolio allocations How has that changed over the past five years? Location Own country Other country Own country Other country 90% 80% 70% 80% 70% 90% 80% 95% 90% 80% 60% 60% 70% 80% 80% Australia Germany Hong Kong India Kenya Malaysia Singapore SouthAfrica Spain UAE UK US Russia China France 10% 20% 30% 20% 30% 10% 20% 05% 10% 20% 40% 40% 30% 20% 20% Inbound UHNWI investments Key Main source Investment rising? Preferred sector Source:The Wealth Report Global Capital Markets Survey Outbound UHNWI investments Preferred location Preferred sector Germany Belgium US US US N/A UK UK UK UK UK UK UK UK UK UK UK UK YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES NO NO NO NO NO N/A NO China China China GCC Singapore China China GCC Hong Kong GCC India India Residential Increase slightly Remain the same Decrease slightly Increase significantly Decrease significantly Office RetailLand property investment the wealth report 20155150
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    Wealthy Chinese investorshave been expanding from luxury residential properties into office buildings, shopping malls and hotels. The latest example is the high-profile joint-venture purchase of the General Motors Building in New York by Zhang Xin, chief executive of office landlord Soho China. After several initial waves of Chinese institutional capital outflow, Chinese UHNWIs are becoming part of the so-called Fourth Wave of investors, which also consists of insurance companies, small- to mid-cap state-owned enterprises and private developers. After heavy investment into gateway cities and trophy buildings, Chinese UHNWIs have established a familiarity with transacting in these markets, and we expect that they will start to pursue higher yields in other commercial property sectors. We will see them moving beyond the gateway cities of London, New York and Sydney and investing into other key cities, such as Frankfurt, Brisbane, Miami and Manchester. In fact, cities like Miami are already firmly on the radar of the wealthy Chinese investors, as the prices of apartments there are up to 25% lower than in Shanghai. A key trend remains the cultural diversity of the city, and of grow- ing importance is the quality of life offered. These factors will continue to draw in Chinese UHNWIs. Investor interest in farmland continues to grow for a number of reasons. First, demographics. Everybody has to eat, and the world’s population is set to hit nine billion by 2050. Investing in farmland is a sim- ple way to buy into the demand created by this trend. But not only will there be more mouths to feed; those mouths are demanding more meat and dairy-based foodstuffs, which require more land to produce per unit of energy than traditional grain-based diets. Second, tangibility. Off the back of the financial crisis, farmland is increasingly being seen as a safe- haven inflation-hedging asset. In the UK values have risen almost 200% over the past 10 years, according to the Knight Frank Farmland Index. Third, the ability to add value to underutilised land. For the more hands-on investor this offers the opportunity to substantially boost capital values, particularly in areas with a higher-risk profile, and is something our experts in Zambia are helping a number of UHNWI investors achieve. The decline of Cairo’s commercial influence at the northern end of Af- rica, and the realisation by international busi- nesses that they cannot run the entire continent from Johannesburg in the southern tip, has created a vacuum that Nairobi is eagerly filling. With the arrival and expansion of a string of multinationals, the city is now firmly established as one of Africa’s leading hubs. Local developers have responded by build- ing Grade A quality office space that is attracting top-quality tenants pay- ing dollar-denominated rents with leases that include fixed annual in- creases. Generally, rents are perceived as good value by international firms, suggesting there is room for healthy future rental growth and also yield shift, which in turn is attracting global investors. In addition, newly discovered oil and gas deposits are creating something of an energy boom, while all sectors of Kenya’s economy, apart from tourism, are growing — GDP is rising at around 5.5% each year. This is largely being driven by a burgeoning middle class hungry for Western-style goods and shopping experiences that, by and large, seems impervious to political controversies and terror- ism activities. This year should see the opening of around 1.8m square feet of First-World shopping malls in Nairobi, with new international retail- ers committing to the region for the first time. They may have already made their first billion or 10, but changing the world with one wildly successful idea like Twitter or LinkedIn isn’t enough. Tech entrepreneurs who have seen their companies mature to the point of initial public offering are continuing to reinvest their intellectual and monetary capital into new start-up companies with their own require- ments for office space. However, while the hunger to discover the next game-changing technology remains un- diminished, the location of the search has shifted. We are seeing a move away from the Silicon Valley into San Francisco proper as firms recognise the latest generation of tech talent wants to live, socialise and work in the centre of the action. Cash-rich companies like Google are also buying space, not renting it. In addition to the renowned SOMA district and burgeoning Mid-Market area, neighbourhoods such as the Mission and Potrero districts are be- ing targeted by smaller and start-up tech firms. A growing sector in the town is the establishment of luxurious private tech clubs such as The Bat- tery, where entrepreneurs and developers can hang out and share ideas. Last year was a tumultuous one for the Gulf region. After an extremely positive start to the year, contin- ued political and economic instability in the Middle East, as well as sharp falls in oil prices, hit confidence hard across local capital markets. As a result, we have witnessed further investment flows from the region into stable, income-generating commercial property nEIL Brookes Head of Capital Markets, Asia-Pacific Anthony Havelock Head of Agency, Nairobi tom raynham Head of Agricultural Investments, London Kyle Kovac Senior Managing Director, Capital Markets San Francisco Joseph Morris Head of Capital Markets, Middle East behaviourial Locations to watch: Miami, Manchester and Brisbane internationally. Key cities such as London continue to attract capital, but we have more recently seen Middle Eastern investors moving up the risk curve to tier-two cities and UK regions, as well as peripheral eurozone markets like Ireland, Germany and Spain. More locally, in the Gulf, with high volatility across both the local stock market and the Dubai residential sector, we anticipate that assets such as commercial real estate with long-term occupational leases will benefit from the fallout, especially as Dubai preserves its status as the region’s relative safe haven. Investor interest is growing from the wider GCC (particularly Saudi Arabia), but also from countries such as India. This year should see the opening of around 1.8m square feet of First World shopping malls in Nairobi Everybody has to eat, and the world’s population is set to hit nine billion by 2050. Investing in farmland is a simple way to buy into the demand created by this trend The Wealth Report asks 10 property investment experts from across Knight Frank’s global network to highlight trends that private UHNW investors should be watching closely TREND Chinese investors diversifying their portfolios TREND Rebalancing of economic power in Africa Changing population and food consumption trends sector to watch: grade a office and retail space in nairobi sector to watch: agricultural land in the uk and africa Middle Eastern economic and political instability sector to watch: Commercial property in the uae Reinvestment by US West Coast tech entrepreneurs sectors to watch: the mission and potrero areas of san francisco and the new wave of tech clubs TREND TREND TREND property investment the wealth report 20155352
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    A change inconsumer behaviour and societal trends, and the increasing rise of the internet, has made property investors look more closely at traditionally non-core options. While the three main sectors of logistics, offices and retail continue to dominate, specialist property sectors, predominantly compris- ing student accommodation, hotels and health care, have substantially increased their impact on the investment landscape, particularly with UHNWIs. The main rationale is that the physical properties themselves in these sectors are business-critical as- sets – without the building the operator will not have a business – and will generally benefit from long-term leases to good covenants, with fixed or inflation- linked increases contained within the leases. This provides the UHNWI investors with an asset class they will generally be familiar with, combined with an easy-to-manage and hands-off investment that re- quires little active property asset management. With all occupational markets within these subsectors seeing robust high-calibre demand for best-in-class locations, there should continue to be a pipeline of good-quality supply from tenants in solid occupier markets. This all signals sound investment opportu- nities for investors looking for wealth preservation and wealth generation. Owning their own home still remains a key aspiration for most people in the UK, but a growing number of young professionals now see renting as a long-term option rather than as a stopgap while they save to buy a property. In part this has been driven by the increasing cost of joining the housing ladder, but it also reflects transitional modern lifestyles as people switch jobs more often and want the freedom to move from one location to another. This demand for rented property provides investors with a secure return because it is easy to find another tenant when one moves on. The private-rental sector model in the UK is also evolving. Purpose-built developments maximise returns by carefully balancing social and private space. More compact and efficiently laid-out apartments allow more units per development, but this is offset by better communal facilities like gyms, and more luxurious private space such as en-suite bathrooms and balconies. London is still hugely popular for investors wanting a long-term secure asset, but higher yields are on offer in regional cities like Birmingham, which will benefit from the HS2 railway. Annual net yields of over 5% are available. Although some com- mentators are saying that Australian commercial property is now fully priced, partly on the back of continued demand from Asian institutions and private investors, I believe the market still offers opportunities for UHNWIs. While current premium (trophy) yields in Sydney’s CBD are almost comparable to the 2007 nadir, yields are still relatively high on a global basis and there is the expectation that local funding costs will fall to their lowest levels on record in 2015 and re- main “lower for longer”. This means a substantial positive spread between property yields and fund- ing costs is opening up. This is most accentuated for non-CBD secondary grade, suburban and pro- vincial office stock. Cross- border capital flows will increase further because of the depreciation of the Australian dollar, driving even higher sales volumes and asset prices. This will be complement- ed by a more positive outlook in the occupier market, particularly in east coast cities where stock levels are falling because of conversion of former commercial space into hotels and residen- tial accommodation. Ireland’s economy was one of the first to rebound from the financial crisis, with current growth rates of over 7%. One of the main drivers of the recovery has been the country’s ability to attract foreign direct JAMES MAnniX Head of Residential Capital Markets, UK JAMES pARRY Head of Institutional Sales and Capital Markets, Australia ADRiAn TRUEiCk Investments, Dublin investment, particularly from the fast-growing IT sector, with Google, Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook all expanding their Irish operations in 2014. Mirror- ing the broader economy, the property sector has rebounded from the lows of 2010/11, with strong oc- cupier demand pushing up rents in all sectors. With very little new construction over the past five years and a limited development pipeline, rents are likely to continue to grow strongly over the next 24 months. Although the total property return is predicted to exceed 36% in 2014, property values are still ap- proximately 20% below their peak, offering potential for attractive investment returns. Investor demand, buoyed by the strength of the dollar against the euro, is largely from US private equity funds that have targeted both large-scale asset and loan portfolios. Although they have now been joined by some of the European pension funds and Middle Eastern inves- tors, demand from UHNWIs has so far been limited to some Asian interest in the hotel sector. With a number of trophy residential and commercial assets still to be traded, the market offers international private investors a stable environment with potential for attractive returns. Owning their own home still remains a key aspiration for most people in the UK, but a growing number of young professionals now see renting as a long-term option rather than as a stopgap ShAUn ROY Head of Specialist Property Investment, london I am increasingly seeing the second or third generation of UHNW families being allocated a proportion of the fam- ily’s investment portfolio to invest into commercial real estate. These gen- erations are generally more globally educated – often in the UK or the US – than their parents or grandparents and are approaching investment in a fashion more akin to a professional fund or wealth manager. There is more of a focus on cash-flow analysis of the investment, and on analysis of tenant cov- enant strength and local market drivers. They are looking for performance over trophy assets. Capital gain through development is popular, as are higher- income yields, possibly through buying offices in strong regional, rather than capital, cities or looking at different sectors such as logistics. Overall there is uncertainty about go- ing into property funds to achieve exposure to this sector – the younger generation want control and believe that they will achieve as good, if not better, returns than if they handed over capital to a fund man- ager. There is a culture of wanting to prove to their fathers or grandfathers that they can grow and protect the family wealth for future generations. I am increasingly seeing the second or third generation of UHNW families being allocated a proportion of the family’s investment portfolio to invest into commercial real estate DEBORAh WATT Head of Global Wealth Investment, london For more information on Knight Frank’s Commercial Property and Capital Markets teams please contact [email protected] TREnD TREnD TREnD Rising interest in long-term renting SECTOR TO WATCh: nEW-BUilD REnTAl ACCOMMODATiOn in ThE Uk Property markets lagging in economic recovery SECTOR TO WATCh: iT in iRElAnD Asian interest in Australia SECTORS TO WATCh: nOn-CORE, SUBURBAn OR pROvinCiAl OFFiCE MARkETS Business-critical assets offer long-term security SECTORS TO WATCh: hOTElS, STUDEnT ACCOMMODATiOn, hEAlTh CARE SECTOR TO WATCh: ASSET MAnAGEMEnT OppORTUniTiES in ThE OFFiCE SECTOR Generational shifts in UHNWI investment strategies TREnD TREnD PROPERTy INVESTMENT THE WEAlTH REPORT 20155554
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    Personal perspectives on property TheWealth Report Editor Andrew Shirley talks to GOODWIN GAW about his passion for property and why investing in the wrong side of town can sometimes be the right move Asian HNWIs are looking for safety rather than pure upside at the moment, and that means markets with liquidity – places like London and New York The aim is to change neighbourhoods, make them better places to live, to take an ugly duckling and turn it into something sexy and trendy The first thing I notice when talking to Goodwin Gaw in his Hong Kong office is that property development is clearly more than just a business for him. It is some- thing he is deeply passionate about at a very personal level. “I was always into building things and architecture as a kid. I even thought I wanted to be an architect. So my dad sent me off to work with one, but then I realised something: apart from a few very success- ful ones, and even then only later on in their careers, architects generally build what their clients want, not what they want to.” For many in the real estate industry, it’s the deal that is their lifeblood. But I don’t get the impression that this is what makes Goodwin Gaw tick. For him it’s the chance to take something unloved, recycle it and bring it back to life. Take his very first investment, for ex- ample. In 1995 he bought Hollywood’s iconic Roosevelt Hotel, bankrupt and a shadow of its former life, which witnessed some of Tinseltown’s most historic events, including the inaugural Academy Awards and Marilyn Monroe’s first model- ling shoot. Not only is the hotel again the cool place to be seen, but the deal spurred a slew of further investments, including the conversion of over 40,000 square metres of empty historical buildings into trendy residential lofts, which helped rejuvenate the then down-at-heel downtown area of Los Angeles. Re-urbanisation, or reverse suburbani- sation, is a big theme, he tells me. “There is no reason people should be scattered in lots of suburbs. They may be socialising online, but they want to collaborate in a physical space.” “To me real estate is not just a category of investment. It’s living bricks and mor- tar. I feel a lot of the time it’s not about the money. The aim is to change neighbour- hoods, make them better places to live, to take an ugly duckling and turn it into something sexy and trendy.” However, Mr Gaw is quick to point out that financial success generally follows. “The goal is to create a return for investors, although some have asked me, ‘Are you having too much fun?’ But I tell them when I’m having fun that’s when I know things are going well. And I am always investing my own money into every project.” He says he hasn’t “miscued” too many times, and on the few occasions a deal hasn’t really fired, like a tax-driven rein- vestment acquisition in Houston or a foray GOODWIN GAW Hong Kong-based Goodwin Gaw is one of Asia’s most influential and innovativepropertydevelopersandin- vestors. Investing his own money and that of his investors, he has built up a diverse residential, commercial and leisureportfoliospanningEurope,Asia and North America. GOODWINGOODWINGOODWINGOODWINGOODWINGOODWIN GAW GOODWIN GAW GOODWIN GAW GOODWIN GAW GOODWIN GAW GOODWIN GAW into the Philippines, it has been because he ventured outside his core investment philosophy. “I like to invest in markets with con- straints,” he says – places like London, Hong Kong and New York, where physical boundaries and planning policies create zones where people want to live or busi- nesses need to be located. “Houston was never a market that I liked. There’s no zoning, and if you look out from the top of a tall building all you can see is land. But I thought that if I reno- vated the building I could charge higher rents, but people just go and build some- where else. It taught me that if a market is high enough for you to want to sell some- thing, then just pay the tax.” He adds, “The Philippines wasn’t an easy place to do business. It’s really an in- sider’s market.” Although his family bought and rede- veloped one of Yangon’s best hotels – “My grandfather was brought up in Burma, my father was born there” – investors aren’t generally flocking towards emerging mar- kets now, he says. “Asian HNWIs are looking for safety rather than pure upside at the moment, and that means markets with liquidity – places like London and New York. Tokyo also looks like an interesting play.” But he still likes to focus on the edgier parts of town and is eyeing up Hong Kong’s Sham Shui Po neighbourhood. He remains upbeat about China – “Apart from the US it will be the world’s only self-sustaining economy” – and is involved with a US$1bn redevelopment of a Beijing “vintage-style” retail outlet. “It will be a fresh new take on something that is obsolete. It will be cut- ting edge.” Cities go through cycles, he explains. “At one point everything old is considered obsolete, but then people get nostalgic for it. You need history. Take New York’s meat- packing district, London’s Shoreditch. To be a truly global city you need that charac- ter, that variety.” Having cut his property teeth on a hotel redevelopment, Mr Gaw continues to be drawn to hospitality and lifestyle op- portunities around the world, but I’m not surprised to hear he still likes something with a bit of an alternative angle to it. He helped, for example, bring renowned hotelier Nick Jones’s arty Soho House concept to Chicago and is also looking at Hong Kong. As we wrap up the interview I ask him where he chooses to live and why. He suc- cinctly lists Hong Kong and Los Angeles– “Those are the places where I do busi- ness.” But he gets more animated when I ask about second homes. “We do have a house in a members-only club in the Mon- tana mountains, he says. “The air is so clean up there.” He pauses, thinks and then adds: “I think that is a concept that could really de- velop in China. People are becoming more and more interested in healthy lifestyles and organic food.” Watch this space. FIRST TIME LUCKY The Roosevelt Hotel, Hollywood, has been one of Goodwin Gaw’s most satisfying investments PROPERTY INVESTMENT THE WEALTH REPORT 20155756
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    investments of passion: performanceand luxury spending trends Luxury research And now for the fun stuff. So far in The Wealth Report we’ve talked about big and important themes like global wealth distribution, the world’s most important cities, property markets and investments. In this chapter we look at exciting things like luxury goods, classic cars, art, jewellery and fine wine. Of course, this being a serious re- search publication we naturally look at such purchases from an investment perspective. The latest results from the Knight Frank Luxury Investment Index, which tracks a theoretical portfolio of 10 investable luxury assets, show that many of these investments of passion have seen their values continue to rise. Although, according to the results of our Attitudes Survey, the personal pleasure they provide is the main reason most UHNWIs like to collect beautiful and pleasurable things, one suspects that even the most epicurean collectors would prefer that their treasures grow in value. Coloured diamonds are the latest ad- dition to our index. Given that jewellery has historically been a common way to store and transfer wealth in many cul- tures, diamonds are perhaps one of the most multifunctional assets in the index. We list some of the most high-profile sales in our special feature on p64. Pearls, which until recently were considered rather old-fashioned, are also rising rapidly in value. This trend is being helped by the almost total lack of supply of new natural pearls coupled with strong demand from the Arabian Gulf, where many of the world’s finest pearls were originally harvested. Indeed, much of the recent demand for luxury goods and investments has been driven by wealth creation in regions with burgeoning economies like Asia and the Middle East. It is therefore intriguing to see that the UK tops our new Big Spenders Index, compiled for The Wealth Report by Ledbury Research. The index tracks the countries likely to see the strongest growth in spending on big-ticket luxury items by their own UHNWI populations and visitors from abroad. It would be fair to say that the UK secured poll position off the back of the many visitors who flock to London’s luxury stores and increasingly out-of- town designer outlets like Bicester Village – the second-most visited destination in the UK for wealthy Chinese tourists and part of a string of similar ‘villages’ around the world. 01 Rule britannia the UK tops The Wealth Report’s new Big spenders index, produced for us by Ledbury research 03 shining bright Coloured diamonds now feature in our index. on average their value has risen by 167% since 2005 02 Vroom, vroom Classic cars were once again the top-performing asset class in our Luxury investment index, rising by 16% during 2014. overall the index rose by 10% last year and has grown by a healthy 205% over the past 10 years LUxUrY sPeNdiNg tHe WeaLtH rePort 20155958
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    The general outlookfor luxury spending continues to be positive. Almost a third of respondents to The Wealth Report’s Attitudes Survey expect their wealthy clients to spend more on luxury goods in 2015, compared with just 8% who expect it to decline. But how does the short-to-medium- term outlook compare for individual countries, and where in the world might luxury brands look to expand? The new Big Spenders Index, compiled exclusively for The Wealth Report, provides some of the answers by identifying the locations likely to see strong growth in big-ticket spending by their own ultra-wealthy populations and visiting UHNWIs. Topping the list for 2015 is a very well- established centre of wealth, the UK. The country scores well, in terms of both the fortunes of its domestic UHNWI popula- tion, thanks to the relative strength of the UK economy, and our tracking of the driv- ers and indicators of high-end spending. The finding underlines the importance of the UK for luxury brands, which sold over £8bn of goods in the country last year, according to Ledbury’s estimates. China fills the second slot in our rank- ing table. The Chinese are already the single biggest consumers of luxury goods around the world, accounting for some 29% of the global luxury spend, according to consultants Bain & Altagamma. Although recently much has been said about the impact of the Chinese govern- ment’s anti-graft measures on luxury demand, Ledbury has consistently argued that the fundamentals of the Chinese luxury market remain very attractive, given the burgeoning wealthy population and rapidly growing middle class. China’s high ranking in the Big Spenders Index reflects the underlying robustness of its UHNWI population. While overall sales performance of luxury goods in the Greater China region has been muted over the past year, there is no denying that there is still a strong demand for luxury brands, which isn’t going to change. However, what is certainly changing is where Chinese consumers are choosing to buy luxury (the vast majority of Chinese luxury spend is outside mainland China), the selection of luxury brands they are buying, and the profiles of the consumers themselves, which are rapidly evolving because of the varying attitudes that exist towards luxury within the different Chinese cities. India, one of the lower-profile BRIC economies, is in fifth place in our rank- ings. Over the past year the rise in wealth and the number of wealthy has been impressive – the number of UHNWIs is in- creasing rapidly, according to our Wealth Model. Aligned to this wealth growth is an equally substantial increase in luxury consumption: the value of champagne imports rose 19% year on year, according to the most recent data from Le Comité Interprofessionnel du Vin de Champagne, despite total exports being flat. We expect international luxury goods to be particular beneficiaries of this new wealth in India, rather than more tradi- tional, local brands. For example, research by the Kotak Mahindra bank has shown that among the wealthy, the traditional Almost a third of respondents to The Wealth Report’s Attitudes Survey expect their wealthy clients to spend more on luxury goods in 2015 Indian wedding gift is fast evolving away from silver plates towards top Western designer brands. We also anticipate that wealth crea- tion, and luxury consumption, will be neither quite as controversial nor quite as hampered by social inequality or austerity agendas as has been the case in Brazil and indeed, latterly, China. With India’s long-standing caste system, wide gaps in incomes and wealth are an ac- cepted norm in the country, according to Kotak Mahindra. Reflecting on the regional make-up of the top countries, it is interesting to see Europe, Asia and the Middle East all well represented. Africa is noticeably absent this year, reflecting some weakening on the continent, notably in commodity- fuelled wealth, which had propelled the success of a number of countries. Hey, big spender The results of a new index compiled for The Wealth Report by Ledbury Research’s Luxury Analysis team MADELAINE OLLIVIER, Luxury Analyst, Ledbury Research APPAREL Wearable technology and luxury overlap With the wearable tech trend continuing, fashion brands have been collaborating with tech companies to help break into the market. But fashion brands are also choosing to make their own wearable, style-conscious tech. Ralph Lauren is pioneering this strategy through its newly unveiled line of smart clothes dubbed Polo Tech. Embedded technology in the clothes allows users to monitor their bodies on their smartphones. ACCESSORIES Pre-owned luxury Pre-owned luxury goods sales are boom- ing. The second-hand market for luxury apparel, accessories, watches and jewel- lery is valued at some $19bn (Bain & Altagamma). Leather goods and clothing make up $4bn of that, and the segment is growing faster than the luxury industry overall (Bloomberg). Some products sold on these marketplaces achieve prices higher than retail, as customers bypass waiting lists for items such as new Hermès bags. WATCHES AND JEWELLERY Women’s watches boom Women have traditionally been more interested in smaller, unobtrusive styles unable to accommodate the complex- ity and multifunctionality of traditional men’s watches. But a fashion for slightly larger watches and jewellery, combined with the growing purchasing power of women, particularly in luxury strongholds such as China, is helping drive sales. The share of female watches in the market has risen to around 35% from 20% in 1995 (Bain & Altagamma). FINE WINES AND SPIRITS China’s slowdown particularly affects Cognac sales French wine and spirits exports fell 7.3% to €4.8bn in the first half of 2014, hit by a 28% fall in sales to China. Cognac exports to China fell 12% (Fédération des Expor- tateurs de Vins & Spiritueux de France). The Chinese government’s continued austerity campaign is thought to be part of the explanation for the drop in Cognac sales as the spirit is associated with gift- ing. Scottish whisky sales are, however, reporting an uptick in other emerging Asian markets as the spirit is associated with status. CARS India lags Manufacturers had been hoping that India would follow in China’s footsteps for luxury car demand, but most have seen disappointing sales and sluggish demand. Only 250 supercars are estimated to have been sold in the country in 2014 (HIS). Import duty hikes and currency declines aren’t helping, but a more fundamental obstruction comes from India’s roads. However, manufacturers could benefit from impending releases of luxury SUVs. YACHTS Market recovers At the 2014 Monaco Yacht Show, ship- builders, brokers and outfitters all said that the market was improving–35% more superyachts were sold in the first half of the year compared with the same period in 2013 (Camper & Nicholsons Interna- tional). This is despite some caution in the industry because of the political uncer- tainty within Russia and the Middle East, traditionally seen as the strongest markets for superyachts. Luxury Spending Trends Drawing on extensive monitoring of luxury markets around the world, Ledbury Research picks out interesting developments within the main luxury goods categories set fair Yacht sales are on the rise Source: Ledbury Research 1 UK 9 5 8 7 5 5 2 China 10 7 2 6 7 7 3 Qatar 7 10 9 10 2 2 4 Canada 9 8 5 10 3 4 5 India 8 10 10 5 1 4 6 SaudiArabia 8 5 9 10 4 3 7 Switzerland 10 8 6 6 3 4 8 Mexico 9 8 6 9 1 4 9 HongKong 9 9 9 2 2 3 10 Kuwait 6 7 8 10 2 2 The Big Spenders Index 2015 Top 10 highest-scoring countries according to the Big Spenders Index, based on scores in the following categories Spending on luxury imported items Premium travel and spending Luxury store footprint Big-ticket luxury goods spending Wealth growth UHNWI population COUNTRYRANK 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 luxury spending the wealth report 20156160
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    tion specialising incoloured or “fancy” diamonds, along with a new index track- ing their performance. Because of their rarity these generally pink, yellow or blue stones command very high prices at auc- tion and seem to fall more readily into the category of investments of passion. (See our special focus on diamonds on p64 for more details.) So how has this newcomer to KFLII performed compared with the other asset classes that we track? Since January 2005 The Fancy Color Diamond Price Index has increased by 167% in value, which inter- estingly is almost exactly the same rise as the wider jewellery index that we use. Christie’s jewellery consultant Ray- There is no doubt that so-called invest- ments of passion are still catching the imagination of the wealth management sector and the media. I continue to be pleasantly surprised by the press coverage devoted to KFLII since it was launched two years ago. One question I have often been asked is why we don’t include gold or diamonds in the index. Gold to me has always seemed more of a conventional investment that tends to sit mainly in a bank vault, while the pricing indices available for white diamonds were too broad in their scope for inclusion. Now, however, a group of industry experts has formed a research founda- 487% over the past 10 years and growing 16% in 2014. This actually represents some- thing of a slowdown, following the index’s staggering 47% surge the year before. HAGI founder Dietrich Hatlapa says the market is returning to normal – although a 1962 Ferrari 250 GTO Berli- netta did set a new world record when it went under the hammer for $38m at the Bonhams Quail Lodge sale in August. In general, however, classic Porsche models performed most strongly in 2014, while more-modern supercars from the 1970s and 80s, like the Lamborghini Countach and Ferrari F40, are growing in popularity, adds Mr Hatlapa. After a few years of relatively languid performance, art appears to be bouncing back, with annual growth of 15%, accord- ing to data from Art Market Research. “The art market has fully recovered from the economic crisis,” says Harvey Mendel- son, of art advisory firm 1858 Ltd. Chariot, by Giacometti, was the most expensive auction sale of the year, making almost $101m at Sotheby’s record-breaking No- vember sale of modern and impressionist art in New York. However, instability in certain parts of the world is having an impact on spe- cific sectors of the market. At a Sotheby’s evening sale of high-value Russian art in London only 32% of the 37 lots on offer found buyers. Coins were the only other asset class to achieve double-digit growth in 2014 with gains of 13%. A rare Edward VIII, 1937, gold sovereign made £516,000 when it was auctioned by Baldwin’s in May. Our benchmark philatelic index – the Stanley Gibbons GB250 – grew by just 3% over the year, but the market for Chinese and Commonwealth stamps continues to grow strongly, says Keith Heddle, Head of Investments at Stanley Gibbons. The sole remaining example of a British Guiana 1856 one-cent black on magenta set a new world record when it was auc- mond Sancroft-Baker, who compiles the index on behalf of Art Market Research, says that demand for top-quality coloured gemstones is also very strong. “We’ve seen a million dollars a carat paid for a Bur- mese ruby recently, and £200,000 a carat for a Kashmir sapphire.” The market for pearls is also extremely buoyant, says Mr Sancroft-Baker. “There is a lot of demand from the Gulf States, who are buying back their heritage. I recently valued a pair of natural pearl ear- rings at a million pounds.” Once again classic cars have been the strongest performer in KFLII over both the long and short-term, with the value of the HAGI Top Index rising by an astounding The Knight Frank Luxury Investment Index (KFLII) is a weighted index based on the performance of 10 indices provided to Knight Frank by the third-party sources listed. Going, going, gone Some of the record-breaking or most significant luxury investment auction results of 2014 01 04 05 06 02 03 01 Edward VIII gold sovereign. Sold by Baldwin’s for £516,000 02 1962 Ferrari 250 GTO Berlinetta. Sold by Bonhams for $38m 03 ‘Chariot’, by Giacometti. Sold by Sotheby’s for $101m 04 British Guiana 1856 one-cent black on magenta stamp. Sold by Sotheby’s for $9.48m 05 1933 Patek Philippe Supercomplication pocket watch. Sold by Sotheby’s for 23.2 million Swiss francs 06 The Mellon Blue Diamond. Sold by Sotheby’s for $32.6m tioned for $9.48m by Sotheby’s New York in June. The 1933 Patek Philippe Supercompli- cation pocket watch was another record breaker when it sold for 23.2 million Swiss francs at Sotheby’s in Geneva, the highest price for any timepiece sold at auction. The overall watch market, however, re- mained stable with annual growth of 4%. Knight Frank’s Fine Wine Icons Index was up 7% on the year, with strong growth for certain US and Italian vintages. But the top end of the Bordeaux market is yet to stabilise, although it should finally bot- tom out in 2015, says Nick Martin of Wine Owners, which compiles the index. The value of antique furniture contin- ued to fall in 2014. Overall, KFLII grew by a further 10% in 2014 and has risen by 205% over the past 10 years. Although this doesn’t take into ac- count any storage, maintenance, insurance or dealing costs, it does help explain the ongoing interest in luxury investments. Sparkling returns The latest results from the Knight Frank Luxury Investment Index (KFLII), which now includes coloured diamonds ANDREW SHIRLEY, the Wealth Report Editor Performance of the Knight Frank Luxury Investment Index by asset class, Q4 2004 to Q4 2014* Sources: Art Market Research –Furniture, Chinese Ceramics, Jewellery, Watches, Art. Stanley Gibbons – Stamps, coins. HAGI – Classic cars. Wine Owners - Wine. Fancy Color Research Foundation –Diamonds. *Except coloured diamonds, Jan 2005 to Oct 2014 12-month performance 5-year performance 10-year performance CoinsColoured Diamonds Classic cars 500% 400% 300% 200% 100% 0% Furniture WineStamps Art -9% -25% -28% 4% 49% 68% 9% 46% 69% 2% 73% 167% 2% 35% 168% 3% 34% 195% 13% 92% 232% 7% 38% 234% 15% 61% 252% 16% 140% 487% The 10-year performance of the Knight Frank Luxury Investment Index 50% 0% 100% 150% 200% 250% 350% 300% Dec 04 Dec 06 Aug 07 Apr 08 Dec 08 Aug 09 Apr 10 Dec 10 Aug 11 Apr 12 Dec 12 Aug 13 Apr 14 Dec 14Aug 05 Apr 06 10yrs:205% 5yrs:62% 1yr:10% Watches Chinese ceramics Jewellery luxury spending the wealth report 20156362
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    Source: Fancy ColorResearch Foundation There is nothing quite like holding a 30-carat D-flawless diamond in the palm of your hand. This tiny thing could assure the financial security of a couple of genera- tions of an entire family. Robust returns on diamonds of more than one carat, mounting demand from Asia and the prospect of mines running dry are pointing to the increased attrac- tiveness of precious natural diamonds as an investment asset. Global diamond sup- ply is expected to plateau by 2020 and drop off significantly in the following decade, according to mining giant De Beers. “Since 2009 the price of polished dia- monds measuring one carat or more has risen 5%,” says Ari Epstein, CEO of Antwerp World Diamond Centre. Bruce Cleaver, Executive Head of Stra- tegy at De Beers, now anticipates a rise in diamond prices. “With growth in diamond demand expected to outstrip growth in supply, there are different possible out- comes, but we believe higher diamond prices would account for a significant amount of the gap,” he says. The concept of diamonds as a store of wealth is not new. Diamonds are arguably Overall, fancy pink, yellow and blue diamonds have increased in value by 167% since 2005, according to the new index. Individuals looking to invest in dia- monds can buy stones from diamond trad- ers and pay for storage and insurance, or buy shares in diamond companies. The Singapore Diamond Investment Exchange and Los Angeles-based Investment Dia- mond Exchange partner with banks offer- ing private clients purchasing, valuation and certification services. Asset management firms including Diamond Capital Fund sell shares in stores of physical diamonds. Sciens Colored Diamond Fund, owned by UHNWI John Rigas, invests in red, pink, blue, green, or- ange and yellow diamonds sourced from mines for individuals and institutions. “Since the 1950s the price of the dia- monds we invest in has never dropped,” says Mahyar Makhzani, Co-Managing Di- rector at Sciens Colored Diamond Fund. Investing in diamonds poses chal- lenges. Unlike gold, diamonds are not fun- gible – one carat is not equal to another carat. Although the internet has brought about increased pricing transparency, there is no standardised pricing index that the most transportable form of wealth in existence. While diamond aficionados may be madly in love with the stones they buy, they also regard them as a means to in- creased wealth. In 2006 billionaire jewel- ler Laurence Graff bought the 78.1-carat Maharajah diamond. It had not been seen in 50 years because it had been in a bank vault. “The translucency, the life in that stone, is beyond anything I have ever seen,” Mr Graff said at the time. The next day, he sold it for an undisclosed profit. Fancy colour diamonds (a technical term in the industry for stones of excep- tional colour), which are far rarer than white diamonds, are performing particu- larly strongly. The 9.75-carat Mellon Blue set a new world auction record for the carat price of a blue diamond when it made $32.6m at Sotheby’s New York in Novem- ber 2014. Most sales, however, do not take place at auction, so tracking the change in price has been difficult. But a new index created by The Fancy Color Research Foundation, which records deals at all stages of the chain, offers more transparency. Multifaceted investment opportunity To coincide with the introduction of coloured diamonds into the Knight Frank Luxury Investment Index, industry expert Claire Adler explores the growing appeal of diamonds as an investment of passion The concept of diamonds as a store of wealth is not new. Diamonds are arguably the most transportable form of wealth in existence classifies the many thousands of different qualities of diamonds, which incorporate a spectrum well beyond the traditional four Cs of cut, carat, colour and clarity, while also offering easy access to individuals be- yond the diamond industry. Monaco-based diamond expert Ehud Arye Laniado believes increased trans- parency will prove transformative. “A fully transparent pricing system will un- lock an opportunity for savvy consumers to view diamonds as a store of wealth in ways not yet possible, ushering in a new era in which informed buyers will be able to make confident purchasing decisions,” says Mr Laniado, the principal of Mercury Diamond, which advised Cora Interna- tional, a New York jeweller specialising in rare diamonds, on acquiring the 29.6-carat Blue Moon for $25.6 million. London-based, Russian-born jewellery designer Yana Zaikin, founder of Emily H London, has noticed her UHNWI clients increasingly hedging their bets on top- quality diamonds, while adorning them- selves in the meantime. “Five years ago my clients preferred investing in gold rather than wear- able diamond jewels,” says Mrs Zaikin. “With currency fluctuations, they’re now diversifying with diamonds. Some keep jewels in the safe, but most wear them. One bought three identical brilliant stones for three rings, which they keep in each of their homes, in Palm Beach, London and New York.” Sparkling coloured diamond buys A pair of pear-shaped yellow diamond ear pendants (52.88 and 51.46 carats) sold for dou- ble their presale estimate at $5.4m at Christie’s New York in December 2014 The oval fancy light pink Gol- conda diamond (21.3 carats) sold for $4.3m at Christie’s New York sale of Magnificent Jewels in December 2014 The Mellon Blue Diamond (9.75 carats) set a new world auction record for the carat price of a blue diamond, fetching $32.6m at Sotheby’s New York in November 2014 The Winston Blue (13.22 car- ats) was sold to Harry Win- ston for 21.4m Swiss francs in May 2014 The Graff Pink (24.78 carats) achieved $46.2m at Sotheby’s Geneva in November 2010, the auction record for any diamond or jewel The Graff Vivid Yellow (100.9 carats) marked a world auction record for a yellow diamond when it sold for $16.3m at Sotheby’s Geneva in May 2014 The Blue Moon (29.6 carats) was acquired by Cora Inter- national LLC for $25.6m from Petra Diamonds in February 2014 The blue diamond Bulgari Trombino ring (5.30 carats) fetched £6.2m at Bonhams in April 2013 65 The Graff Vivid Yellow, ©Sotheby’s 167% Overall price change The Fancy Color Diamond Price Index (Jan 2005 to Oct 2014) 56% 161% 360% Yellow Blue Pink luxury spending the wealth report 20156564
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    6766 the wealthreport 2015databank By its very nature, a printed publication such as The Wealth Report can only hope to describe and analyse trends in any de- tail at a fairly broad macro level. However, over the following pages we have included two highly granular datasets that provide a huge amount of information for those interested in global wealth distribution and the results of the report’s annual Attitudes Survey. The numbers behind the trends Comprehensive wealth distribution data and regional Attitudes Survey results The wealth distribution data, provided by WealthInsight, includes historic, cur- rent and 10-year predictions for UHNWI, centa-millionaire and billionaire popula- tions in almost 100 countries. Regional millionaire population data is included, but is also available on request at a coun- try level. City wealth numbers for over 100 locations can also be requested. In terms of the 2015 Attitudes Survey (pp8–15), we have included the results at a regional level for the majority of the survey’s findings, but further data for selected countries is also available for those wanting to delve deeper. To take part in next year’s survey please contact: [email protected] Regional wealth distribution Region 2004 2013 2014 2024 2004- 2014 2013- 2014 2014- 2024 Africa 76,385 164,000 168,815 257,519 121% 3% 53% Asia 2,718,770 4,933,277 5,094,277 7,373,427 87% 3% 45% Australasia 144,252 350,500 357,006 440,015 147% 2% 23% Europe 3,714,946 5,015,797 5,152,132 6,298,363 39% 3% 22% Russia/CIS 47,714 195,226 197,625 293,390 314% 1% 48% Latin America 240,017 580,700 593,560 866,146 147% 2% 46% Middle East 204,944 426,100 438,583 605,438 114% 3% 38% North America 4,370,348 5,653,100 5,806,833 7,128,478 33% 3% 23% World 11,517,376 17,318,700 17,808,831 23,262,776 55% 3% 31% Millionaire populations UHNWI (+US$30m) populations Region 2004 2013 2014 2024 2004- 2014 2013- 2014 2014- 2024 Africa 824 1,868 1,932 3,074 135% 3% 59% Asia 22,335 40,853 42,272 62,399 89% 3% 48% Australasia 1,594 3,828 3,920 4,834 146% 2% 23% Europe 42,409 58,731 60,565 75,945 43% 3% 25% Russia/CIS 481 2,034 2,068 3,327 330% 2% 61% Latin America 3,798 9,677 9,902 14,837 161% 2% 50% Middle East 3,296 7,052 7,269 10,198 121% 3% 40% North America 32,778 43,626 44,922 56,159 37% 3% 25% World 107,515 167,669 172,850 230,773 61% 3% 34% Centa-millionaire populations Region 2004 2013 2014 2024 2004- 2014 2013- 2014 2014- 2024 Africa 229 509 524 815 129% 3% 56% Asia 4,149 8,744 9,094 14,263 119% 4% 57% Australasia 294 727 744 924 153% 2% 24% Europe 8,006 10,917 11,261 14,027 41% 3% 25% Russia/CIS 216 915 926 1,447 329% 1% 56% Latin America 590 1,625 1,663 2,549 182% 2% 53% Middle East 705 1,508 1,550 2,167 120% 3% 40% North America 9,289 12,159 12,518 15,597 35% 3% 25% World 23,478 37,103 38,280 51,789 63% 3% 35% Billionaire populations Region 2004 2013 2014 2024 2004- 2014 2013- 2014 2014- 2024 Africa 11 30 30 48 172.7% 0% 60% Asia 194 472 492 834 153.6% 4% 70% Australasia 13 33 33 41 153.8% 0% 24% Europe 268 383 393 490 46.6% 3% 25% Russia/CIS 31 135 136 203 338.7% 1% 49% Latin America 39 103 105 159 169.2% 2% 51% Middle East 46 98 102 138 121.7% 4% 35% North America 412 537 553 685 34.2% 3% 24% World 1,014 1,791 1,844 2,598 81.9% 3% 41% *Africa includes Egypt *Europe excludes Russia and CIS countries *Middle East includes Turkey *Latin America includes the Caribbean and Mexico % change % change % change % change Global wealth distribution Country Region 2004 2013 2014 2024 2004- 2014 2013- 2014 2014- 2024 2004 2013 2014 2024 2004- 2014 2013- 2014 2014- 2024 2004 2013 2014 2024 2004- 2014 2013- 2014 2014- 2024 Algeria Africa 14 35 36 51 157% 3% 42% 2 4 4 6 100% 0% 50% - 1 1 1 - 0% 0% Angola Africa 12 70 72 112 500% 3% 56% 3 17 17 26 467% 0% 53% - 1 1 2 - 0% 100% Argentina Latin America 139 483 480 944 245% -1% 97% 37 128 127 248 243% -1% 95% 2 7 7 13 250.0% 0% 86% Australia Australasia 1,001 2,740 2,785 3,553 178% 2% 28% 216 585 595 756 175% 2% 27% 11 30 30 38 172.7% 0% 27% Austria Europe 953 1,429 1,460 1,874 53% 2% 28% 129 193 197 252 53% 2% 28% 6 9 9 11 50.0% 0% 22% Azerbaijan Russia / CIS 19 62 64 107 237% 3% 67% 2 6 6 10 200% 0% 67% 1 - - - - - - Bahrain Middle East 69 124 126 161 83% 2% 28% 7 12 12 15 71% 0% 25% - - - - - - - Bangladesh Asia 38 75 78 113 105% 4% 45% 4 8 8 12 100% 0% 50% - - - - - - - Belgium Europe 955 1,370 1,402 1,771 47% 2% 26% 117 167 171 215 46% 2% 26% 1 1 1 1 0.0% 0% 0% Botswana Africa 12 20 20 26 67% 0% 30% 1 2 2 3 100% 0% 50%- - - - Brazil Latin America 1,146 4,122 4,218 6,278 268% 2% 49% 170 602 616 911 262% 2% 48% 12 43 44 65 266.7% 2% 48% Bulgaria Europe 16 42 43 69 169% 2% 60% 2 4 4 6 100% 0% 50% - - - - - - - Cambodia Asia 20 52 54 84 170% 4% 56% 6 15 16 25 167% 7% 56% - - - - - - - Canada North America 2,275 4,248 4,341 5,392 91% 2% 24% 381 705 720 891 89% 2% 24% 20 37 38 47 90.0% 3% 24% Chile Latin America 219 664 687 1,122 214% 3% 63% 76 226 234 379 208% 4% 62% 5 15 16 26 220.0% 7% 63% China Asia 1,721 7,905 8,366 15,681 386% 6% 87% 582 2,639 2,790 5,185 379% 6% 86% 39 174 184 338 371.8% 6% 84% Colombia Latin America 131 435 446 606 240% 3% 36% 23 74 76 103 230% 3% 36% 1 2 2 3 100.0% 0% 50% Croatia Europe 130 220 221 303 70% 0% 37% 13 22 22 30 69% 0% 36% - - - - - - - Cyprus Europe 128 182 181 228 41% -1% 26% 27 38 38 48 41% 0% 26% 1 1 1 1 0.0% 0% 0% Czech Republic Europe 200 391 399 548 100% 2% 37% 41 79 81 111 98% 3% 37% 2 4 4 5 100.0% 0% 25% Denmark Europe 709 981 1,019 1,288 44% 4% 26% 115 158 164 207 43% 4% 26% 4 6 6 8 50.0% 0% 33% Egypt Africa 101 270 276 387 173% 2% 40% 37 97 99 138 168% 2% 39% 3 7 7 10 133.3% 0% 43% Estonia Europe 16 36 37 60 131% 3% 62% 2 4 4 6 100% 0% 50% - - - - - - - Ethiopia Africa 9 35 36 72 300% 3% 100% 1 4 4 8 300% 0% 100% - - - - - - - Finland Europe 288 416 426 544 48% 2% 28% 36 52 53 67 47% 2% 26% 1 1 1 1 0.0% 0% 0% France Europe 2,774 3,800 3,865 4,424 39% 2% 14% 431 588 598 683 39% 2% 14% 28 38 39 44 39.3% 3% 13% Germany Europe 8,126 11,392 11,679 14,481 44% 3% 24% 1,813 2,529 2,591 3,201 43% 2% 24% 49 68 70 86 42.9% 3% 23% Ghana Africa 7 30 31 62 343% 3% 100% 1 3 3 6 200% 0% 100% - - - - - - - Greece Europe 573 721 717 907 25% -1% 26% 74 92 92 116 24% 0% 26% 2 3 3 4 50.0% 0% 33% Hong Kong Asia 1,706 2,560 2,690 3,941 58% 5% 47% 404 603 633 922 57% 5% 46% 34 51 53 77 55.9% 4% 45% India Asia 622 1,576 1,652 3,371 166% 5% 104% 153 383 401 811 162% 5% 102% 26 65 68 136 161.5% 5% 100% Indonesia Asia 195 626 650 1,507 233% 4% 132% 58 185 192 441 231% 4% 130% 7 23 24 54 242.9% 4% 125% Iran Middle East 68 217 229 403 237% 6% 76% 7 22 23 40 229% 5% 74% - - - - - - - Iraq Middle East 45 130 133 229 196% 2% 72% 4 13 13 22 225% 0% 69% - - - - - - - Ireland Europe 714 811 825 983 16% 2% 19% 107 121 123 146 15% 2% 19% 3 3 3 4 0.0% 0% 33% Israel Middle East 800 1,437 1,485 1,880 86% 3% 27% 110 197 203 256 85% 3% 26% 9 16 17 21 88.9% 6% 24% Italy Europe 2,936 3,650 3,717 4,468 27% 2% 20% 481 595 606 726 26% 2% 20% 21 26 26 31 23.8% 0% 19% Ivory Coast Africa 16 25 26 57 63% 4% 119% 2 3 3 6 50% 0% 100% - - - - - - - Japan Asia 12,186 16,450 16,703 19,916 37% 2% 19% 1,425 1,915 1,944 2,311 36% 2% 19% 19 26 26 31 36.8% 0% 19% Jordan Middle East 38 94 96 140 153% 2% 46% 8 19 19 28 138% 0% 47% - - - - - - - Kazakhstan Russia / CIS 33 179 190 407 476% 6% 114% 11 58 61 129 455% 5% 111% 1 7 7 15 600.0% 0% 114% Kenya Africa 56 110 115 209 105% 5% 82% 16 31 32 58 100% 3% 81% - 1 1 2 - 0% 100% Kuwait Middle East 203 515 513 760 153% 0% 48% 45 112 112 165 149% 0% 47% 2 6 6 9 200.0% 0% 50% Latvia Europe 28 68 69 125 146% 1% 81% 3 7 7 13 133% 0% 86% - - - - - - - Lebanon Middle East 167 306 308 407 84% 1% 32% 45 81 82 108 82% 1% 32% 2 3 3 4 50.0% 0% 33% Libya Africa 16 45 42 66 163% -7% 57% 2 5 5 8 150% 0% 60% - - - - - - - Lithuania Europe 39 83 86 155 121% 4% 80% 4 8 8 14 100% 0% 75% 0 1 1 2 - 0% 100% Luxembourg Europe 354 580 599 803 69% 3% 34% 97 158 163 218 68% 3% 34% 1 1 1 1 0.0% 0% 0% Malaysia Asia 242 557 572 814 136% 3% 42% 90 206 211 299 134% 2% 42% 6 14 14 20 133.3% 0% 43% Mexico Latin America 1,687 2,540 2,596 3,526 54% 2% 36% 168 252 257 347 53% 2% 35% 14 21 21 28 50.0% 0% 33% Monaco Europe 129 198 217 426 68% 10% 96% 13 20 22 43 69% 10% 95% 2 11 12 23 500.0% 9% 92% Mongolia Asia 8 45 48 101 500% 7% 110% 1 5 5 10 400% 0% 100% - - - - - - - Morocco Africa 23 40 41 64 78% 3% 56% 20 34 35 54 75% 3% 54% 2 4 4 6 100.0% 0% 50% Mozambique Africa 4 10 10 19 150% 0% 90% 0 1 1 2 - 0% 100% - - - - - - - Myanmar Asia 14 40 42 85 200% 5% 102% 1 4 4 8 300% 0% 100% - - - - - - - Namibia Africa 7 16 17 23 143% 6% 35% 1 2 2 3 100% 0% 50% - - - - - - - Netherlands Europe 2,020 2,735 2,826 3,531 40% 3% 25% 300 404 417 519 39% 3% 24% 3 4 4 5 33.3% 0% 25% New Zealand Australasia 577 1,050 1,094 1,229 90% 4% 12% 75 135 141 158 88% 4% 12% 2 3 3 3 50.0% 0% 0% Nigeria Africa 63 200 210 399 233% 5% 90% 19 60 63 119 232% 5% 89% 2 7 7 13 250.0% 0% 86% Norway Europe 1,238 2,425 2,521 3,501 104% 4% 39% 167 323 336 464 101% 4% 38% 5 9 9 12 80.0% 0% 33% Oman Middle East 51 135 137 195 169% 1% 42% 5 14 14 20 180% 0% 43% - 1 1 1 - 0% 0% Pakistan Asia 112 260 267 400 138% 3% 50% 11 26 27 40 145% 4% 48% - - - - - - - Panama Latin America 41 98 103 154 151% 5% 50% 4 10 11 16 175% 10% 45% - - - - - - - Paraguay Latin America 49 159 165 267 237% 4% 62% 5 16 17 27 240% 6% 59% - - - - - - - Peru Latin America 96 276 283 451 195% 3% 59% 38 108 111 176 192% 3% 59% 3 9 9 14 200.0% 0% 56% Philippines Asia 68 171 177 295 160% 4% 67% 59 147 152 252 158% 3% 66% 6 15 16 26 166.7% 7% 63% Poland Europe 222 487 503 683 127% 3% 36% 33 71 73 99 121% 3% 36% 2 5 5 7 150.0% 0% 40% Portugal Europe 485 625 634 781 31% 1% 23% 80 103 104 128 30% 1% 23% 2 3 3 4 50.0% 0% 33% Qatar Middle East 114 286 296 452 160% 4% 53% 24 59 61 93 154% 3% 52% - 1 1 2 - 0% 100% Romania Europe 61 172 177 297 190% 3% 68% 17 47 48 80 182% 2% 67% 1 2 2 3 100.0% 0% 50% Russia Russia / CIS 279 1,292 1,303 1,899 367% 1% 46% 139 634 639 926 360% 1% 45% 26 116 117 168 350.0% 1% 44% Saudi Arabia Middle East 382 851 874 1,212 129% 3% 39% 156 345 354 488 127% 3% 38% 10 22 23 31 130.0% 5% 35% Singapore Asia 1,471 3,154 3,227 4,979 119% 2% 54% 354 751 768 1,177 117% 2% 53% 11 23 24 36 118.2% 4% 50% South Africa Africa 300 594 616 903 105% 4% 47% 86 168 174 254 102% 4% 46% 4 8 8 12 100.0% 0% 50% South Korea Asia 946 1,565 1,622 2,184 71% 4% 35% 236 387 401 537 70% 4% 34% 17 27 28 37 64.7% 4% 32% Spain Europe 2,556 3,475 3,538 4,392 38% 2% 24% 398 538 548 678 38% 2% 24% 16 22 22 27 37.5% 0% 23% Sri Lanka Asia 21 61 63 103 200% 3% 63% 6 16 17 28 183% 6% 65% - - - - - - - Sudan Africa 3 8 8 12 167% 0% 50% 0 1 1 1 - 0% 0% - - - - - - - Sweden Europe 2,033 3,147 3,245 4,327 60% 3% 33% 263 405 417 553 59% 3% 33% 6 10 10 13 66.7% 0% 30% Switzerland Europe 2,479 4,137 4,328 5,295 75% 5% 22% 479 793 829 1,011 73% 5% 22% 45 74 77 93 71.1% 4% 21% Syria Middle East 85 203 211 321 148% 4% 52% 9 20 21 32 133% 5% 52% - - - - - - - Taiwan Asia 933 1,503 1,570 2,148 68% 4% 37% 275 440 459 625 67% 4% 36% 22 35 36 49 63.6% 3% 36% Tanzania Africa 40 75 78 156 95% 4% 100% 4 8 8 16 100% 0% 100% - - - - - - - Thailand Asia 218 527 540 855 148% 2% 58% 85 203 208 327 145% 2% 57% 7 17 17 26 142.9% 0% 53% Tunisia Africa 37 55 57 88 54% 4% 54% 4 6 6 9 50% 0% 50% - - - - - - - Turkey Middle East 866 1,923 1,986 2,881 129% 3% 45% 214 471 486 701 127% 3% 44% 16 35 36 51 125.0% 3% 42% UAE Middle East 317 625 658 856 108% 5% 30% 43 84 88 114 105% 5% 30% 7 13 14 18 100.0% 8% 29% Uganda Africa 9 20 21 35 133% 5% 67% 5 12 12 20 140% 0% 67% - 1 1 2 - 0% 100% UK Europe 8,431 10,149 10,547 13,176 25% 4% 25% 2,004 2,405 2,498 3,109 25% 4% 24% 65 78 81 100 24.6% 4% 23% Ukraine Russia / CIS 93 339 343 592 269% 1% 73% 49 174 176 301 259% 1% 71% 3 12 12 20 300.0% 0% 67% Uruguay Latin America 28 108 114 186 307% 6% 63% 3 11 12 19 300% 9% 58% - - - - - - - USA North America 30,503 39,378 40,581 50,767 33% 3% 25% 8,908 11,454 11,798 14,706 32% 3% 25% 392 500 515 638 31.4% 3% 24% Uzbekistan Russia / CIS 29 82 86 172 197% 5% 100% 3 8 8 16 167% 0% 100% - - - - - - - Venezuela Latin America 47 200 192 413 309% -4% 115% 12 50 48 102 300% -4% 113% 1 3 3 6 200.0% 0% 100% Vietnam Asia 35 110 116 300 231% 5% 159% 7 21 22 56 214% 5% 155% - 1 1 3 - 0% 200% Zambia Africa 4 15 16 29 300% 7% 81% 1 2 2 4 100% 0% 100% - - - - - - - Zimbabwe Africa 14 25 26 38 86% 4% 46% 2 3 3 4 50% 0% 33% - - - - - - - UHNWI populations Centa-millionaire populations Billionaire populations% change % change % change Source: WealthInsight
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    6968 the wealthreport 2015databank Africa Asia Australasia Europe Latin America Middle East North America Russia/CIS Global Family/business succession issues 96% 72% 83% 86% 89% 92% 92% 100% 85% Potential increase in wealth taxes 100% 78% 61% 90% 77% 58% 82% 75% 81% Increased scrutiny of wealthy by government 82% 76% 44% 88% 85% 73% 75% 100% 80% Cyber-crime and online privacy 78% 75% 69% 72% 65% 65% 92% 75% 76% Political interference 86% 76% 35% 69% 76% 81% 55% 89% 68% Health/environmental issues 54% 71% 60% 57% 75% 38% 82% 38% 66% Crisis in Middle East 31% 35% 38% 48% 38% 96% 64% 29% 51% Political situation in Russia/Ukraine 19% 34% 47% 52% 38% 38% 73% 100% 51% China’s potential economic slowdown 30% 71% 67% 31% 37% 35% 64% 0% 49% What percentage of your clients are concerned about the following issues regarding their wealth, business or lifestyle? Africa Asia Australasia Europe Latin America Middle East North America Russia/CIS Global Tax 57% 68% 56% 81% 83% 54% 91% 56% 77% Quality of life/health 74% 79% 33% 65% 60% 71% 45% 100% 63% Business reasons 43% 66% 51% 62% 53% 40% 36% 63% 54% Education of children 71% 75% 24% 44% 49% 60% 27% 89% 49% Security 93% 71% 19% 51% 60% 69% 9% 63% 47% Political issues 86% 57% 9% 50% 43% 73% 0% 88% 40% Lack of civil liberties 25% 38% 0% 11% 12% 28% 0% 57% 16% Are the following factors reasons why your clients might want to move? (Percentage = respondents who said yes) Africa Asia Australasia Europe Latin America Middle East North America Russia/CIS Global Residential for investment 100% 84% 69% 82% 77% 85% 75% 100% 81% Offices 63% 68% 29% 43% 57% 76% 70% 63% 59% Retail/shops 43% 59% 15% 31% 48% 63% 55% 50% 47% Hotels 22% 34% 21% 39% 28% 64% 33% 43% 37% Infrastructure 30% 21% 46% 35% 40% 32% 56% 50% 37% Agricultural 29% 27% 56% 43% 40% 8% 44% 50% 37% Warehousing/industrial 54% 33% 51% 28% 36% 33% 30% 17% 31% Are your clients becoming more interested in the following property investments? (Percentage = respondents who said yes) Africa Asia Australasia Europe Latin America Middle East North America Russia/CIS Global Ski property 0% 12% 17% 35% 26% 28% 64% 11% 34% Vineyard 25% 27% 17% 26% 19% 4% 30% 38% 25% Equestrian property 29% 12% 12% 17% 13% 28% 20% 13% 17% Are your clients becoming more interested in the following types of homes? (Percentage = respondents who said yes) Africa Asia Australasia Europe Latin America Middle East North America Russia/CIS Global Remained the same 64% 67% 70% 57% 66% 38% 40% 63% 55% Increased 29% 22% 15% 36% 28% 62% 50% 25% 37% Decreased 7% 11% 15% 7% 6% 0% 10% 13% 8% How did that allocation change in 2014? Africa Asia Australasia Europe Latin America Middle East North America Russia/CIS Global Remain the same 57% 53% 80% 61% 53% 46% 45% 78% 54% Increase 32% 27% 9% 33% 39% 46% 45% 11% 35% Decrease 11% 20% 11% 6% 8% 8% 9% 11% 10% How do you think it will change in 2015? Africa Asia Australasia Europe Latin America Middle East North America Russia/CIS Global Decrease 4% 5% 6% 2% 2% 0% 0% 22% 2% Increase 36% 22% 17% 17% 29% 31% 25% 33% 22% Remain the same 61% 73% 77% 81% 69% 69% 75% 44% 75% How do you expect your clients’ philanthropic activities to change in 2015 compared with 2014? Africa Asia Australasia Europe Latin America Middle East North America Russia/CIS Global Decrease 4% 16% 3% 9% 6% 4% 0% 22% 8% Increase 39% 31% 14% 24% 35% 40% 33% 22% 30% Remain the same 57% 53% 83% 66% 59% 56% 67% 56% 62% How do you expect your clients’ spending on luxury goods to change in 2015 compared with 2014? Africa Asia Australasia Europe Latin America Middle East North America Russia/CIS Global Less 25% 13% 9% 10% 7% 0% 8% 0% 9% More 64% 61% 77% 74% 75% 84% 50% 89% 66% The same 11% 26% 14% 17% 19% 16% 42% 11% 25% Do your younger clients spend more on luxury goods than their parents’ generation? Africa Asia Australasia Europe Latin America Middle East North America Russia/CIS Global Yes 36% 39% 22% 34% 46% 31% 75% 11% 45% No 64% 61% 78% 66% 54% 69% 25% 89% 55% Are your younger clients more philanthropic than their parents’ generation? Africa Asia Australasia Europe Latin America Middle East North America Russia/CIS Global Yes 18% 38% 18% 27% 22% 31% 25% 33% 29% No 82% 62% 82% 73% 78% 69% 75% 67% 71% Are your clients increasingly using private jets for their business and leisure travel? Africa Asia Australasia Europe Latin America Middle East North America Russia/CIS Global 11% 12% 4% 14% 15% 10% 7% 33% 12% What percentage of your clients do you think are considering permanently changing their domicile or country of residence? Africa Asia Australasia Europe Latin America Middle East North America Russia/CIS Global Average 31% 38% 42% 33% 26% 40% 24% 27% 32% On average, what percentage of your clients’ investment portfolios is allocated to property? Africa Asia Australasia Europe Latin America Middle East North America Russia/CIS Global Secondary school 19% 38% 4% 19% 35% 36% 23% 61% 27% University 40% 62% 14% 34% 58% 70% 41% 70% 47% What percentage of your clients send, or are likely to send, their children overseas for their education? Africa Asia Australasia Europe Latin America Middle East North America Russia/CIS Global Yes 32% 67% 13% 32% 44% 65% 27% 67% 42% No 68% 33% 87% 68% 56% 35% 73% 33% 58% Are your clients sending their children overseas for their education at a younger age? Attitudes Survey 2015 Wealth and lifestyle trends Africa Asia Australasia Europe Latin America Middle East North America Russia/CIS Global 23% 22% 15% 24% 28% 36% 31% 21% 26% What percentage of your clients do you think are considering purchasing another home in the next 12 months? Africa Asia Australasia Europe Latin America Middle East North America Russia/CIS Global 2.5 3.3 2.3 2.6 3.0 3.8 2.9 3.0 2.9 On average, how many homes do your clients own? Africa Asia Australasia Europe Latin America Middle East North America Russia/CIS Global 21% 28% 29% 23% 20% 27% 19% 23% 23% On average,what percentage of your clients’total net worth is accounted for by their main residence and any second homes that are held not purely as an investment? Prime residential property Property Investments Due to rounding, some columns may not add to 100 Luxury spending trends regional data available on request Africa Asia Australasia Europe Latin America Middle East North America Russia/CIS Global Abroad 39% 38% 6% 45% 57% 77% 27% 89% 42% In their own country 61% 63% 94% 55% 44% 23% 73% 11% 58% Where are your clients most likely to invest in property? Africa Asia Australasia Europe Latin America Middle East North America Russia/CIS Global Yes 43% 43% 25% 44% 46% 44% 50% 44% 45% No 57% 57% 75% 56% 54% 56% 50% 56% 55% Are your younger clients more interested in property as an investment than their parents’ generation?
  • 36.
    Housing affordability is movingup the investment agenda Final word Liam Bailey Global Head of Research [email protected] +44 20 7861 5133 One of the biggest trends we are monitoring across pretty much all the markets we focus on is the ongoing globalisation of demand for property. The biggest counter-trend I see at play is protectionism (pp38–39). Compared with other capital flows, money moving into residential property often attracts controversy. New demand is accused of hiking prices, as well as creating market access and affordability issues for local residents. The counterargument, that new investment flows lead to new supply in precisely the places where demand is highest, appears to be falling on deaf ears. As a result, taxes on expensive homes and property investments are being extended. This renewed focus on the impact of wealth on world property markets is to some extent misplaced. Not because affordability and accessibility issues are overstated, but rather because, by focusing solely on demand, the arguments are too narrowly drawn. Access to high-quality, truly affordable housing is set to be a dominant political theme globally for the next decade. As The Economist magazine noted earlier this year, 60 million rich-world households spend more than 30% of their income on housing; in the emerging world 200 million households live in slums. With rapid urbanisation, these numbers will only grow. Opportunities for investors in this area are enormous. Innovations in housing design, funding, land assembly and construction are developing rapidly. And this is an area where the flow of ideas and experience is moving both ways, between developed and emerging economies. We are already working with a number of develop- ers who are assessing every stage of the development process to see how they can design and deliver better homes, more cheaply and more rapidly. In my view, this area will become an increasingly dominant area of focus for our clients. As challenges and opportunities come, they don’t get much bigger, or more important. Please contact me if you would like to discuss this or any of the issues raised in this year’s report. Disclaimer The Wealth Report (© Knight Frank LLP 2015) is produced for general interest only; it is not definitive and is not intended to give advice. It must not be relied upon in any way. Although high standards have been used in the preparation of the information, analysis and views presented in The Wealth Report, no responsibility or liability what- soever can be accepted by Knight Frank for the contents. We make no express or implied warranty or guarantee of the accuracy of any of the contents. As far as applicable laws allow, we do not accept re- sponsibility for errors, inaccuracies or omissions, nor for loss or damage that may result directly or indi- rectly from reliance on or use of its contents. 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Our registered office is 55 Baker Street, London, W1U 8AN, where you may look at a list of members’ names. The Wealth Report is compiled from information contributed by various sources including Knight Frank LLP, its direct UK subsidiar- ies and a network of separate and independent overseas entities or practices offering property ser- vices. Together these are generally known as “the Knight Frank global network”. Each entity or practice in the Knight Frank global network is a distinct and separate legal entity. Its ownership and management is distinct from that of any other en- tity or practice, whether operating under the name Knight Frank or otherwise. In any event, no entity or practice operating under the name Knight Frank (including Knight Frank LLP) is liable for the acts or omissions of any other entity or practice. Nor does it act as an agent for or have any authority (whether actual, apparent, implied or other- wise) to represent, bind or oblige in any way any other entity or practice that operates under the name Knight Frank (including Knight Frank LLP). Where applicable, refer- ences to Knight Frank include the Knight Frank global network. Residential Property Enquiries Paddy Dring +44 20 7861 1061 [email protected] Commercial Property Enquiries Deborah Watt +44 20 7861 1678 [email protected]