Most billionaires are not famous, and why that helps
At a 2026 Family Office Club event, someone asked Richard whether Billionaires.com should focus on famous names. His answer started with a simple point. Most billionaires are not famous.
Few people can name 100
Richard says that out of about 3,000 billionaires, most people could not name more than 100. Probably no one can name 300. He expects that of 100 interviews, maybe 10 will be with very famous people.
Nobody knows everyone
Richard adds that no single person knows all the billionaires. Even people deep in the family office world often have not heard of each other's contacts. There is far more private wealth than most people think.
Less famous, more yes
Richard says the less famous a billionaire is, the more likely they are to agree to an interview. He admits that landing names like Michael Jordan or Ray Dalio would speed things up.
In Richard's words
"Most billionaires are not famous, they're not well-known, right?" (Richard C. Wilson, 2026 Family Office Club event)
"The less famous they are, the more likely they actually are to say yes to us." (2026 Family Office Club event)
How to use this
- Look past the famous names when you build a network or a prospect list.
- Expect less known people to be more open.
- Do not assume anyone knows everyone in a wealthy niche.
- Use a few famous names to speed things up, but do not wait on them.
Questions and answers
How many billionaires are there?
Richard uses about 3,000.
How many can most people name?
Richard says most could not name more than 100, and probably no one can name 300.
Who agrees to Billionaires.com interviews?
Richard says less famous billionaires are more likely to say yes.
Would famous names help?
Yes. Richard says interviewing names like Michael Jordan or Ray Dalio would speed up the 100-interview goal.