One of the more eye-catching results, given the seemingly relentless negative political news in the UK, is how optimistic businessmen and women are about its economic prospects.

A report from HSBC Private Bank underscores why international financial centres such as Singapore and Hong Kong are so important, showing that 59 per cent of HNW business owners are diversifying wealth internationally. 

On a related point, more than half – 57 per cent – of this population group are considering a personal move abroad and 49 per cent intend to expand their business into new markets.

But in one of the more surprising findings, given the often negative political news coming from the UK, the report said that business leaders are positive about the country's prospects.

Financial market volatility is a top concern for entrepreneurs, followed by inflation. The report shows a gap between action and commentary about business succession: 78 per cent say they have a clear succession plan, but 51 per cent worry about business continuity if they are not around.

HSBC surveyed 2,939 HNW business owners with at least $2 million of investable assets; a third of the sample – 956 – were ultra-HNW individuals with a net worth of more than $100 million. The findings appear in The Global Entrepreneurial Wealth Report 2025. 

In general, the bank said, respondents are highly optimistic, and the richer they are, the more positive.

“Exactly half of the entrepreneurs, from mainland China through to the US, express confidence in their personal wealth significantly improving over the coming few years,” the report said. “A further 39 per cent think it will improve a bit. And they express an even greater level of confidence about the future for their business prospects, with 54 per cent being very positive and a further 40 per cent fairly positive.”

Roughly two-thirds of UHNW individuals, with an individual net worth of over $100 million, say they are “highly confident” about both their business prospects and personal wealth outlook, the 35-page report said.

International 
The markets where investors were keenest to expand in internationally are in Asia and the Middle East. Singapore is ranked as the preferred location to move personal wealth, in large part because of its appeal as a regional financial centre. The UK and Switzerland were the next most popular wealth centres attracting international movements of wealth as entrepreneurs in Asia and the Middle East diversify.

The vast majority – 94 per cent – of business owners said they are positive about business prospects, and 90 per cent expect their personal wealth to grow.

In other findings, 40 per cent of former entrepreneurs said they had passed their business to family members, 20 per cent had sold a firm, 17 per cent had moved it to non-family members, and 14 per cent had shut the business down.

“In a year when long-established trade patterns have been challenged, entrepreneurs have adapted and thrived in the new environment. Their innovation and optimism have helped deepen trade routes and create new corridors, particularly between the Middle East and wealth hubs in Asia,” Gabriel Castello, CEO of HSBC Private Bank a.i., said.

The report uses the term "corridor" to describe how entrepreneurs see two-way flows of business between particular financial centres – for instance, between Singapore and India, to give one example. This publication has heard other wealth managers and banks using this term, sometimes to flesh out the thinking behind where they wish to deploy booking centres, for example.

UK optimism surprise
At a time when domestic UK political news can sometimes be downbeat, the report appears to counter that narrative.

The country in which entrepreneurs are most optimistic for business prospects is the UK. Some 75 per cent of entrepreneurs express “high levels of positivity,” led by optimism about prospective business opportunities and technological advancements. This is despite forecast growth of 1 per cent for 2025 (HSBC Global Investment Research, August 2025),” the bank said. It quoted a founder of an engineering company based in Liverpool as saying: “I’m incredibly optimistic because I can see what’s happening right outside my office window. There’s massive infrastructure projects up here in the Northwest. The whole area is being completely transformed.”

Business owners in Saudi Arabia and the UAE, at 68 per cent and 65 per cent respectively, are the second and third most optimistic about their business prospects within the markets surveyed. 

Personal wealth
Entrepreneurs in the UK lead the pack in terms of how they see their personal wealth: 71 per cent forecast that their personal wealth will get significantly better over the coming 12 months. Second are those in Saudi Arabia (68 per cent). Both rank much higher than the 50 per cent global average.


Source: The Global Entrepreneurial Wealth Report 2025