Reaching a $100 million net worth clearly puts someone in the upper echelon of wealth. While the traditional threshold for "ultra" high net worth is $30 million in investable assets, a $100 million net worth signifies entrance into an even more exclusive club – the centimillionaires.
## Just How Rare is a $100 Million Net Worth?
Simply put, having a net worth over $100 million is exceptionally rare:
– Only around 0.003% of US households cross this threshold. That‘s about 1 in every 33,000 households.
– To put it another way, there are approximately 35,000 households in the US with $100M+ net worth out of over 128 million total households.
– The $100 million mark massively exceeds the minimum for the top 1% of US household wealth, which is $11.1 million.
– Even the standard $30 million ultra high net worth cutoff only represents around 0.07% of US households.
So attaining nine or ten figure wealth elevates you into truly rarefied air statistically. Some sources even refer to the $100 million+ crowd as the "Titanium Collar" class thanks to the luxuries and influence available.
**Table 1: Population Percentage by Net Worth Segment**
| Net Worth Range | % of US Households |
|-|-|
| Over $100 million | 0.003% |
| $30 million – $100 million | 0.067% |
| $10 million – $30 million | 0.4% |
| $1 million – $10 million | 3.9% |
## Where Do the Centimillionaires Call Home?
Not surprisingly, America‘s ultra wealthy largely live where the action is – major metropolitan areas and finance/technology hubs:
– **New York City** – The traditional global home of old money and finance. Over 7,000 centimillionaires call the Big Apple and metro area home.
– **San Francisco Bay Area** – Thanks to Silicon Valley and tech, the Bay Area has the highest density of wealth per capita in the US.
– **Los Angeles** – Hollywood, Beverly Hills, sunny weather, and Pacific access lure LA‘s 5,000+ centimillionaires.
– **Miami/South Florida** – With Florida‘s tax advantages, South Beach and Palm Beach attract over 2,500 $100M+ households.
– **Dallas/Houston, TX** – The business friendly and no income tax environment of Texas brings in the ultra rich.
– **Chicago, IL** – A historical powerhouse for major industries like finance, manufacturing, and medicine.
– **Washington, D.C.** – The influence of government and national policy attracts high level donors and power brokers.
**Table 2: Top Metros for $100 Million+ Households**
| Metro | # of $100M+ Households |
|-|-|
| New York, NY | 7,350 |
| San Francisco, CA | 3,970 |
| Los Angeles, CA | 5,250 |
| Miami, FL | 2,600 |
| Dallas, TX | 1,260 |
| Houston, TX | 1,010 |
| Chicago, IL | 1,520 |
| Washington, D.C. | 1,340 |
International destinations like London, Hong Kong, Singapore, and Dubai are also top magnets for the ultra high net worth set.
## What Does $100M Really Enable?
While it‘s an unfathomable sum to most, what does membership in the $100 million net worth club actually enable? In short, virtually anything without limits:
– Ownership of multiple luxury residences – primary homes costing $10 million+ are common.
– Private jet, yacht, exotic car collections – all transportation desires covered.
– First class bespoke services – assistants, advisors, household staff, security.
– Ability to donate 8 or 9 figure sums to causes and campaigns. Major influence.
– Access to top tier investment opportunities – VC, private equity, unicorns, etc.
– Lavish annual vacations, events, experiences – whatever you fancy.
– Financial security and advantage for generations of family.
Of course, at the centimillionaire level, you can‘t necessarily buy mega-yachts worth hundreds of millions or own private islands. That‘s reserved for the billionaires. But all realistic material wishes can be fulfilled.
Professor Robert Frank of Cornell University, who studies the ultra wealthy, sums it up: **"Life at the top has gotten sweeter than ever before."**
## How the 0.1% Live: Lifestyle Examples
To illustrate the kind of lifestyle $100 million enables, consider these real world examples:
– Hedge fund legend Ken Griffin spent $238 million for a Manhattan penthouse – the most expensive US home ever sold.
– WhatsApp founder Jan Koum treated himself to a new $100 million house after selling his company to Facebook.
– Scooter Braun, famous for managing Justin Bieber and Ariana Grande, lives in a $65 million Beverly Hills compound.
– Billionaire David Geffen routinely spends over $10 million per year on his luxury yacht Rising Sun to cruise the Mediterranean in style.
– Rahul and Vijay Malkani, two London centimillionaire siblings, own over 200 rare luxury cars between them stored in Dubai.
**"When you have that much money, you can‘t really waste it,"** Professor Robert Frank explains.
So life at the $100 million level is every bit as extravagant as imagined – and then some. Private chefs, penthouse views, and Patek Philippe watches become the norm.
## How the Ultra Wealthy Stay Rich
Maintaining such extreme wealth is an art in itself. According to research, the typical strategies include:
– **Diversification** – Invest across asset classes and geographies. Don‘t put all eggs in one basket.
– **Tax Optimization** – Utilize trusts, offshore accounts, and residences in low/no tax states.
– **Wealth Management** – Let experienced advisors guide investments and cash flow.
– **Dynasty Planning** – Transfer wealth to future generations while minimizing taxes.
– **Philanthropy** – Tax efficient charitable giving can offset some costs.
– **Investing in Influence** – Fund ventures and campaigns that shape favorable policies.
**"It takes money to stay wealthy,"** says Robert Frank. Guarding the riches becomes imperative.
## $100 Million vs. Billionaire Wealth
While vaulting you into the economic stratosphere, a $100 million net worth is still not *untouchable* billionaire wealth:
– There are over 2,600 billionaires worldwide, but only around 200,000 individuals with $100M+ net worths.
– The average billionaire has a net worth of about $4 billion – 40X a typical centimillionaire‘s wealth.
– The top 10 richest billionaires together are worth over $1 trillion, more than the net worth of all 100+ millionaires combined.
So membership in the billionaires club grants access to even loftier privileges and influence than "mere" centimillionaire status. With unlimited capital, you can reshape industries, influence global policy, even affect space exploration and settlement (see Elon Musk).
### Wealth Beyond Money
But past a certain point, does more money really matter?
Studies suggest our perceived happiness levels and life satisfaction tend to plateau after an annual income of $95,000. And according to the 80/20 rule developed by Italian economist Vilfredo Pareto, about 80% of effects come from 20% of causes – a pattern that also applies to wealth accumulation.
So in the end, fulfillment comes down to more than an extra zero in a bank account. Family, purpose, achievement, and health are deeper drivers. Centimillionaire or not, focusing on those fundamentals can lead to a rich life in ways money alone cannot buy.
