Merrill Lynch counted all the dollar millionaires in Russia - there are less than a third

The number of Russian dollar millionaires decreased in 2008 by 28.5% compared to the previous year - from 135,700 to 97 100 people, according to the Merrill Lynch Global Wealth Management and Consulting Capgemini report.

In total, the number of millionaires in 2008 decreased by 14.9% to 8.6 million, while the total capital of the richest people of the planet decreased by 19.5% to $ 32.8 trillion, Interfax reports.

As the study showed, the crisis changed the preferences of millionaires both in the world and in Russia: they began to spend more on their health, as well as art and jewelry.

"The financial crisis and economic uncertainty significantly reduced the volume of" emotional "investments of rich people and their spending on maintaining the usual lifestyle. Products of luxury items, auction houses and companies that provide services of the highest price category note a significant drop in demand in all regions of the world.

Meanwhile, the millionaires did not stop investing in art and jewelry - the demand for them even increased compared to the pre -crisis period. This kind of investment is part of the general trend to invest in reliable assets in terms of long -term investments, ”the report said.

In addition, it states that in 2008, rich people reduced their investments in the rally around the world and increased the share of investment in more reliable and simple tools: fixed yields, funds and liquid assets. In addition, they were somewhat more actively bought by real estate.

“Not seeing a single“ quiet harbor ”around them, wealthy people chose to leave a high level of cash in their investment portfolios. This will allow them to change their investment strategies and invest in new opening opportunities for further growth,” said the head of the European Asset Managements Merrill Lynch Activations of the International Private Customer Asset markets Jean-Marie Deliermosis. According to the results of the study, the crisis increased the expenses of rich people aimed at taking care of their health and well -being. At the same time, economic troubles forced them to reconsider expenses on exclusive and exotic VIP tours.

According to the report, in the first half of 2008, the level of charitable donations from wealthy people remained almost unchanged. However, in the IV quarter, both the total amount of contributions and the circle of goals for which donations were sent were reduced.

"Charitable activity is an important part of expenses for people with large capital in all regions, however, in North America it is given the greatest importance. In North America, 60% of millionaires said that the crisis will force them to reduce charitable activities in 2009. Meanwhile, Japan is the only country where the increase in spending on charitable needs is predicted. 54% intended to increase this in 2009 An article of expenses, ”the review says.

Forbes magazine previously calculated that the number of dollar billionaires in 2008 was reduced by more than 300 people, and Bill Gates was headed by the list of the remaining ones.

In 2008, for the first time in the world in the world, the number of billionaires in the world as a whole and in Russia in particular decreased in the world. Only 793 people remain on the planet. The Russians also noticeably diminished, Mikhail Prokhorov leads among them. Oleg Deripaska fell from 9th place in the world to the 164th.