A centimillionaire is generally someone whose wealth is at least US$100 million. The term is used for people and families at that level, though wealth counts vary by source: some measure liquid investable assets, while others measure total net worth. Those measures produce different estimates of how many centimillionaires there are.
What the term means
"Centi" refers to one hundred, so a centimillionaire is commonly understood to have wealth of US$100 million or more. Richard C. Wilson has described the term as the industry's shorthand for "100 million plus net worth."
The threshold is useful, but it does not by itself tell you what is included in someone's wealth. For example, Henley & Partners defines wealth for its centimillionaire figures as liquid investable wealth, including listed holdings, cash and debt-free residential property. Knight Frank's figures, by contrast, count people by net worth. The two estimates should not be compared as if they use the same definition.
Why the reported counts differ
Henley & Partners counted 29,350 people worldwide with at least US$100 million in liquid investable assets in 2024. The group had grown 54% over the previous decade. (Henley & Partners, 2024)
Knight Frank reported a different measure: more than 100,000 people worldwide worth at least US$100 million on a net worth basis, after that group grew 4.2% in 2024. (Knight Frank, 2025) The gap between the figures reflects different wealth definitions and methodologies, rather than a single universally agreed count.
These numbers also describe individuals, not necessarily separate households or family offices. A person at the threshold may have wealth spread across a company, investments, property and other assets. The figures show why it helps to check what a source counts before using a headline estimate.
What the threshold can mean for families
A US$100 million threshold marks a level of wealth that can involve complex financial and family decisions. In a Family Office Club event, Wilson described his book as being for "100 million plus net worth families." That framing points to the family context: planning may involve more than the wealth of one individual, especially when assets, businesses and responsibilities are shared across relatives.
The term does not mean that every centimillionaire has the same needs or uses a family office. It is a wealth category, and individual circumstances differ. Still, it can be a helpful label when discussing services, planning and resources intended for people at this level.
From Family Office Club events
"It's the first book ever written with the word centimillionaire in the name of it, which means 100 million plus net worth."
Sources
- Henley & Partners, Centi-Millionaire Report 2024. henleyglobal.com
- Henley & Partners, Centi-Millionaire Report 2024: Mapping the Centi-Millionaire Boom. henleyglobal.com
- Henley & Partners, definition of wealth. henleyglobal.com
- Knight Frank, The Wealth Report 2025. knightfrank.com
- Family Office Club event transcript
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