Here is the statistics on the sources of capital of billionaires based on data for the years 2025-2026. The numbers vary slightly depending on the methodology (Altrata, UBS, Hurun, Forbes), but the overall picture is quite stable: completely inherited wealth is a minority, but a significant portion of billionaires started with inheritance or family capital. Key Figures (2025-2026) According to Altrata (Billionaire Census 2026), out of 3,795 billionaires in the world: 62% — self-made (created wealth from scratch or scaled their business significantly). 30% — mixed type (inherited a business or capital and significantly increased it). 8% — completely inherited wealth (without making significant personal efforts to create it). According to UBS (Billionaire Ambitions Report 2025) from 2,919 billionaires: 2,059 (about 70%) — self-made. 860 (about 30%) — inherited wealth. According to Hurun Global Rich List 2026 from 4,020 billionaires: 69% — self-made. 31% — inherited wealth. Summary Table Source Number of billionaires Self-made Inherited Altrata 3,795 62% 8% (completely) UBS 2,919 70% 30% Hurun 4,020 69% 31% Important Nuances \"Self-made\" does not always mean \"from scratch.\" Many of those categorized as self-made started with loans, connections, or startup capital from their family. For example, Statista's research notes that most modern billionaires have used family wealth, privileges, and social connections to get started. Altrata also points out that the share of self-made among billionaires (62%) is 13 percentage points lower than among simply very wealthy people (not billionaires) — that is, having a startup capital or platform plays a significant role in jumping into the ten-figure club. Completely inherited wealth is decreasing. The share of those ... Read more