In recent years, a new category of investors has gained global prominence: the EMILLIs (Everyday Millionaires), individuals with assets between US$ 1 and 5 million.
Unlike the traditional ultra-rich, they represent a much larger group, which has grown rapidly and brings a unique profile of opportunities to the Private Banking and Wealth Planning market.
What are EMILLIs and why they matter now
According to the UBS Global Wealth Report, the number of EMILLIs has quadrupled since 2000, reaching around 52 million people in 2024.
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Together, this group concentrates US$ 107 trillion in assetsa figure almost equivalent to the US$ 119 trillion of individuals above US$ 5 million.
This growth reveals a structural change in the global wealth scenario: it is no longer just a select group of traditional families, but a significant mass of businesspeople, entrepreneurs and professionals who have built their assets in record time.
The Brazilian cut
Brazil already has approximately 433 thousand people with assets above US$ 1 million, leading Latin America and occupying 19th position in the world ranking.
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This data reveals two important nuances:
1 – The country has a growing number of individuals with the potential to access sophisticated wealth management services.
2 – The majority do not come from traditional rich families, but rather from entrepreneurial trajectories with rapid asset growth and, often, without proper financial, patrimonial and succession organization.
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In other words, we are faced with clients who need structure, not just profitability.
The largest wealth transfer in history
The next 20 to 25 years will mark the largest wealth transfer on record. There will be around US$83 trillion in movement, of which US$9 trillion in the Americas alone.
Brazil appears in this scenario with weight: it is one of the countries with the largest absolute volume of planned transfers, close to US$9 trillion.
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This process has a central implication: the relationship can no longer be thought of only with the current generation. Private Banking that is limited to managing investments loses relevance.
What is required now is a vision capable of covering two or three generations, with financial education, governance rites and a well-defined succession design.
Why does this audience ask for service “beyond the investment”?
International research shows that up to 81% of heirs change institutions after receiving the inheritance. This reinforces a key point: portfolio performance is not enough to retain families.
What weighs in the decision are value-added services:
- Succession planning structures;
- Clear family governance, with rules and advice;
- Tax and asset efficiency;
- A consultative vision that connects investment with purpose and legacy.
Families that do not formalize governance tend to see their assets fragmented during transitions. Therefore, the ideal time to structure processes is not “after inheritance”, but before the passing of the baton.
Brazilian EMILLIs don’t just need products; they need a decision system that protects, organizes and perpetuates what they have built.
This is where Private Banking and Wealth Planning meet: in the role of translating financial achievements into lasting legacies, spanning generations.
