Delineation of ranges of wealth are often used in wealth management to define subgroups or target services. Many firms prefer to distinguish a client’s overall net worth (including business ownership) from only those investable assets available for management by the advisory firm.

Although there are no universally accepted standards for different ranges, there are common terms representing typical groups, denoted in US dollars (USD). The mass affluent range is often defined as the $1 million USD – $5 million USD range (sometimes called “the millionaire next door” after the renowned 1998 book of the same name). High-net-worth (HNW) is the next level up, from $5 million to either $30 million or $50 million USD. Capgemini, a wealth consulting and research firm, also defines this level as “mid-tier millionaires.” Ultra-high-net-worth (UHNW) is the highest level, extending from at least $30 million USD into the billions. 

With inflation and the significant expansion of global wealth since 2000, more firms are considering the modern threshold to the top UHNW level to be $100 million USD, or the centimillionaire level. This rarefied level is also variously referred to as “superwealthy” or “uberwealthy,” but these terms are more colloquial and risk having a pejorative meaning about the very rich. The delineation of families with greater than $100 million USD net worth legitimately discriminates their unique needs, complexity, and multigenerational planning requirements compared to lesser levels of wealth.

The terms ultra-high-net-worth individuals (UHNWIs) or ultra-high-net-worth family (UHNWF) denote the holders or beneficiaries of this wealth.