Not at all. That’s a common mix-up. Billionaires are their own weird species—think space rockets and private islands. HNWIs are more… your friendly local CEO, the surgeon who invested wisely, or the tech founder who sold a small app. They’re millionaires, plain and simple.
There are different flavors, too. You’ve got Very High Net Worth Individuals (VHNWI) with $5 to $30 million. And then Ultra High Net Worth Individuals (UHNWI) who cross $30 million. That’s when you start naming your yachts after your mother.
But the baseline—$1 million in investable assets—is surprisingly common. In fact, there are millions of HNWIs worldwide. They’re not wearing capes; they’re wearing nice watches and fretting about taxes like everyone else.
