Nearly half the world’s wealthiest female billionaires are US-based: report

August 5, 2022

A scene from the "#A320 Family, unbeatable fuel efficiency" video from Airbus. Image credit: Airbus

Fourteen percent of the world’s 500 wealthiest billionaires are women, according to a new report from Airbus Corporate Jets.

Nearly 46 percent, or 32 of the world’s 500 wealthiest billionaires are women based in the United States, citing ACJ’s analysis. Among the wealthiest female billionaires in America, their combined total net worth is more than $514 billion.

“Female billionaires are increasingly important to the global business aviation market, and many are based in the U.S.,” said Sean McGeough, vice president of commercial Airbus Corporate Jets for North America, in a statement.

“The business aviation market is enjoying strong growth in the US,” he said. “For the sectors, we are focused on – ultra-long-range and ‘Xtra Large’ business jets – billionaires are a key target.”

Head in the clouds
Several reports indicate growth-oriented findings about the luxury aviation sector, which continues to rise in both popularity and overall valuation.

Within the largest 10 markets for private aviation there are approximately 17,000 privately owned aircraft registered, citing The Jet Traveler Report from Wealth X and Vista Jet. The U.S. makes up the largest proportion featured, accounting for 75 percent of private jet ownership among the top 10 markets.

Inside a $200 Million Airbus ACJ320 Neo Business Jet

Business jet take-offs and landings in the U.S. were up 40 percent y-o-y in 2021, and saw their highest peak since before the 2008 financial crisis, according to Morgan Stanley. This year, there were just over 2 million business aircraft departures from January to June, which was 15 percent higher than the same period in 2019, before the pandemic, citing ACJ’s analysis.

In addition, the global business jet market reached a value of $17.6 billion last year, per a recent report from iMarc.

The average global jet owner is 63.6 years old and owns 1.3 planes, per the Private Aviation in the Middle East: Owner Profile, Trends and Business Opportunity Report from Wealth X.

The typical UHNW jet owner has a mean average net worth of $1.5 billion, citing The Jet Traveler Report from Wealth X and Vista Jet.

Nearly 97 percent of global jet owners are male and 3.2 percent are female, citing the Wealth X report.

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Women in first class

As UHNW women make strides in the private aviation space, female spending power is rising in the luxury sector (see story). Chinese women, in particular, are driving changes in the luxury landscape (see story).

Because China has one of the highest women’s labor force participation and full-time employment rates in Asia Pacific, ambitious Chinese women are left with high amounts of discretionary income (see story).

As women continue to be leading consumers of luxury goods, brands will increasingly market to their female audience, not unlike Omega’s recent digital ode to successful women (see story).

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Nearly half the world’s wealthiest female billionaires are US-based: report

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