Capgemini: 17% of HNWIs get seamless, personalised advice

Capgemini’s 30th World Wealth Report 2026, based on surveys of 6,510 high-net-worth individuals across 27 markets, 144 senior wealth management executives in 24 markets and 1,317 relationship managers in 24 markets, found 17% of HNWIs describe their advisory experience as both seamless and personalised. Forty-two percent reported having to restate goals and preferences multiple times to the same firm.

The report shows global HNWI wealth rose 8.7% in 2025 to $98.3 trillion, while the HNWI population grew 7.9% to 25.3 million. Ultra-high-net-worth individuals increased by 9.4%, the fastest-growing segment for the second year running.

Exclusive client relationships declined from 39% of HNWIs working with a single firm in 2019 to 19% in 2025. In the UK, the number of people holding four to six wealth management relationships doubled over three years.

Access to products and specialist services is a main cause of fragmentation. Eighty-eight percent of respondents said they work with multiple firms to gain better exposure to alternative investments. Capgemini calculated about $1.5 trillion of assets moved to wealth technology firms, single-family offices and robo-advisory platforms between 2022 and 2025.

Operational inefficiencies are cited as a barrier to personalisation. Relationship managers reported spending 41% of their time on operational tasks. Seventy-six percent of relationship managers want AI-enabled systems to automate routine work, and 61% seek a more integrated ecosystem of specialists to meet both financial and non-financial needs. Capgemini estimates augmented intelligence could free up to half of a relationship manager’s time for judgment-based client engagement and proactive recommendations.

The report links client experience to commercial outcomes: 53% of HNWIs said they would recommend their provider to others, and 47% said they would consolidate more assets with a provider that met their expectations.

Regional trends include a 10.5% rise in Asia-Pacific HNWI wealth, driven in part by AI-related equity gains, an 8.0% increase in Europe, and a 1.5% decline in the Middle East associated with lower oil prices and regional instability. Equity allocations among HNWIs rose to 25% of portfolios. The United States added 736,000 new millionaires, bringing the total to 8.7 million.

Gareth Wilson, executive vice president and global banking industry leader at Capgemini, called the lack of progress on personalisation “striking,” adding that the industry is still struggling to meet client expectations. Anneka Treon, global head of investments, private banking and wealth management at ING, described AI as “a blessing” and noted clients have become accustomed to hyper-personalised interactions through frequent use of large language models.

The report was released as firms face increased competition for wealthy clients and expanding demand for non-traditional products and services.