Number of Billionaires by Country in Europe 2025 (Top 36)

Europe’s billionaire hotspots in 2025 show how history, innovation, and family businesses shape today’s wealthy. Forbes’ latest numbers reveal where fortunes grow and each country’s story offers a mix of old traditions and new ambition. Let’s look at the big players in plain terms, with simple examples and key facts for every country.​

Germany: The Billionaire Engine

Germany holds the top spot with 171 billionaires. Its success stems from strong carmakers, family-owned businesses and global brands. Cities like Munich and Stuttgart are home to many of these fortunes. Decades of skilled trades and tech education give Germans an edge in building and keeping wealth.

Key notes:

• Germany’s billionaires often have roots in the auto, retail, and engineering sectors.
• Wealth is spread across both long-standing families and new innovators.
• Big industrial regions—like Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg—dominate the billionaire map.
• The country values giving back, so philanthropy here steadily grows.​

Russia: Wealth Under Pressure

Russia ranks second in Europe with 140 billionaires. Many made their fortunes through energy, metals, and natural resources after the Soviet Union’s collapse. Despite economic sanctions and political hurdles, Russian billionaires often invest abroad or seek multiple residencies. Moscow is the usual billionaire hangout.

Highlights:

• Major fortunes come from oil, mining, and steel.
• Many keep part of their wealth outside Russia for security.
• Sanctions have changed how and where Russians invest.
• Younger businesspeople are rising in the tech and social media fields.​

Italy: Style and Family Business

Italy’s 74 billionaires are tied to industries like luxury, fashion, and fine food. Family businesses pass down assets through generations—think of companies like Ferrero and Armani. Milan leads in wealth, mixing tradition with new startup energy.

Key points:

• Strong ties to global luxury brands (Prada, Luxottica, Ferrero).
• Family teamwork is a standard recipe for success.
• Wealth has been built up in fashion, food, and real estate, especially.
• Italy’s open to foreign investment but keeps its local flavor.​

United Kingdom: London, the Wealth Magnet

The UK has 55 billionaires, with London acting as a magnet for both old and new money. If you walk through Mayfair or Kensington, you might bump into a billionaire realtor or software company CEO. A mix of banking, tech, and media creates steady growth.

Quick facts:

• London packs more billionaires in one city than anywhere else in Europe.
• Hedge funds and startups boost the numbers.
• Changing tax rules affect where billionaires call home.
• Giving to arts and science is on the rise.​

France: Luxury Leads the Way

France lists 52 billionaires, most of whom are linked to luxury brands such as LVMH, Chanel, and Hermès. Paris is a standard base, but fortunes come from fashion, wine, cosmetics, and new tech. Families like the Arnaults and Bettencourts show the strength of old money mixing with new ideas.

Did you know?

• France’s richest often top European wealth lists.
• Strong tradition of culture and philanthropy.
• Luxury, wine, and beauty brands dominate.
• Startups in Paris are now turning founders into the next generation of the wealthy.​

Sweden: Tech and New Wealth

Sweden claims 45 billionaires, proving size isn’t everything. Brands like IKEA, Spotify, and H&M started local, turned global, and made their founders household names. Sweden’s system rewards creative risk and supports new tech more than most.

Facts:

• Swedish billionaires found success in technology, retail, and music streaming.
• Stockholm is the startup capital.
• No inheritance tax since 2005 makes wealth growth easier.
• Giving to schools and environmental groups is common.​

Switzerland: Money and Medicine

Switzerland’s 42 billionaires go beyond private banks—many lead pharmaceutical or commodity firms. Zurich and Geneva offer stability and privacy, attracting wealth from around the world.

Points:

• High GDP per capita—Switzerland’s truly wealthy.
• Hidden wealth and discreet banking keep billionaires’ secrets safe.
• Big in pharma, luxury, and trade.
• Many support medical and science charities.​

Spain: Fashion and Real Estate

Spain, with 34 billionaires, blends old nobility and new fame. Amancio Ortega (Zara) leads the list and skews the numbers! Real estate, infrastructure, and renewables are gaining ground.

Overview:

• Ortega alone shapes much of Spain’s billionaire status.
• Latin American investments are common.
• Real estate plays a major role.
• New energy and tech fortunes are on the rise.​

Türkiye: The Bridge of Ambition

Türkiye’s 32 billionaires represent East meeting West. From banking to food production, Turkish fortunes bridge continents. Istanbul’s mix of history and modern finance is where most major deals take place.

Main notes:

• Family businesses mean stability.
• Billionaires often diversify into everything from exports to media.
• Younger leaders are moving into tech fields.
• Political and economic swings push billionaire decisions.​

Norway: Oil and Opportunity

Norway’s 17 billionaires prove how oil, shipping, and energy drive lasting wealth. The world’s largest sovereign wealth fund is run here, providing Norway with a safety net for future generations.

Four facts:

• Oil riches started the trend, but tech is growing.
• Oslo and Bergen are billionaire hubs.
• Wealth often supports sports and public goods.
• More women now reach the billionaire club.​

Greece: Tradition and Rebound

Greece has 16 billionaires, showing that wealth in the country remains strong. Most of them made their money in shipping, tourism and energy, with many based in Athens. Even during tough times, these fortunes stay stable, and new billionaires continue to emerge.

Facts:

• Shipping empires are legendary (think Onassis).
• Recent investment in energy and tourism is substantial.
• Many have homes or business interests abroad.
• Greek billionaires frequently fund local charities and the arts.​

Netherlands: Connected and Global

The Netherlands’ 13 billionaires benefit from ports, tech and global trade. Amsterdam and Rotterdam stand out as key wealth centers.

Key points:

• Port of Rotterdam creates logistics giants.
• Many invest in sustainability and energy.
• Dutch charities often focus on art and science.
• Family-run firms still matter.​

Belgium, Czechia, Ireland: Small but Mighty

Belgium, Czechia, and Ireland each have 11 billionaires. Belgium’s wealth mixes food, diamonds, and new fintech. Czechia’s elite are growing in real estate and banking, after decades of rapid change. Ireland thrives on tech firms, finance, and foreign investment—Dublin leads the way.

Quick context:

• Belgium: Family businesses, chocolate, and finance.
• Czechia: Real estate, agriculture, and local investment.
• Ireland: Tech boom, low taxes, and US company presence.
• All three see giving back as key to their legacy.​

Europe’s billionaire map in 2025 is as much about culture, creativity, and resilience as it is about numbers. From Germany’s mighty industries to Sweden’s new startups and Ireland’s tech firms, each country follows a different path to wealth—even in changing times.

Numbers tell us which nations are in front, but the human stories behind them are what shape the future.

Here is a list of the 30 countries in Europe with the highest number of billionaires in 2025.

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