Wealth-X, the ultra high net worth (UHNW) business development solution for global private banks, luxury brands, educational institutions and non-profits, has released its Chinese zodiac special report on global UHNW individuals.

Based on findings from the report, the zodiac sign of the Rabbit has the largest UHNW population globally and in most regions except for the US.

Zodiac	% of total UHNWIs
Rabbit	9.5%
Monkey	8.7%
Goat	8.6%
Horse	8.5%
Dragon	8.4%
Ox	8.2%
Snake	8.2%
Rat	8.1%
Pig	8.0%
Tiger	8.0%
Rooster	8.0%
Dog	7.8%

According to a Shin Min report, the survey was conducted in 2012 and only included those whose wealth is more than $30 million; that amounted to 187,380 people.

The Shin Min report also stated who were the dominant wealthy zodiac signs in each country:

Country	Zodiac
Taiwan	Snake
Thailand	Dragon
India	Rat
Japan	Horse
China	Rabbit
South Korea	Rabbit
Singapore	Rooster
Malaysia	Ox

UHNWIs in the zodiac sign of the Goat have the highest average net worth at US$157.9 million (S$195 million) while those under the zodiac sign of the Dog have the lowest average net worth at US$104.6 million.

Contrary to traditional beliefs, UHNWIs in the zodiac sign of the Rabbit are the most decadent in terms of luxury spend and those in the zodiac sign of the Pig are the most conservative in their spending on luxury.

The Shin Min report also pointed out that those born in the year of the Rabbit earned alot and spent alot as well.

UHNWIs in the zodiac sign of the Monkey are most likely to be billionaires while the UHNWIs in the zodiac sign of the Dog are least likely to be billionaires.

Commenting on the report, Wealth-X CEO, Mykolas D. Rambus noted, "Our analysis clearly debunks popular beliefs that see the Dragon as the most prosperous zodiac sign."

"No particular zodiac sign offers a significant financial advantage over another nor acts as a predictive symbol of the propensity for wealth. However, this report does point to trends associated with certain zodiac signs, such as education and luxury spend, which could well prove useful to business development professionals," he added.

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In another Wealth-X report, it released eight predictions for China's UHNWIs for the Year of the Snake.

They are:

1. Luxury spend will increase to US$7 billion, or US$570,000 per UHNWI, compared to luxury spend of US$1,350,000 per UHNWI in the US;

2. Private aircraft owners will double to over 150, less than 1 per cent of private jet ownership in the US;

3. Population will exceed 12,250 which is triple the total UHNW population in France;

4. Combined net worth to reach US$1.7 trillion, more than the gross domestic product (GDP) of South Korea and Taiwan combined;

5. Charitable giving will surpass US$2 billion or US$165,000 per UHNWI, compared to US$ 410,000 per UHNWI in the US;

6. Onshore assets under management (AUM) at US$75 billion or a quarter of the total US$300 billion AUM in China, compared to over US$1 trillion AUM for US UHNWIs;

7. Real estate holdings will top US$150 billion or 36 per cent of the total real estate holdings in Asia currently;

8. By the next Year of the Snake, 2025, combined net worth will hit US$4.1 trillion, surpassing the projected collective wealth of UHNWIs from New York, London and Paris.

China's UHNW population is expected to increase by 9 per cent to 12,250 in 2013 while the combined net worth of these UHNWIs will rise by 8 per cent to reach US$1.7 trillion.

The most significant increase is expected to be in the number of Chinese private jet owners, which will see an increase of 100 per cent to reach a total of 150.

Mr Rambus said, "As China makes the transition to an economic model based on domestic consumption, 2013 is set to be a prosperous year for the Chinese UHNW population. In particular, we expect to see the private jet industry take off due to the surge in demand for private aircraft as new status symbols."

Photos: AFP, ST, Reuters, BH, Chen Wen Hsi, Internet