3% of the world's adult population owns 40% of the financial power, and about two-thirds of this tiny fraction represent the core of what the True-Luxury Global Consumer Insights study, co-signed by BCG and Altagamma, defines as the "Beyond Money" customer segment. This term designates the absolute peak of luxury: consumers who spend more than €50,000 annually on luxury goods or experiences, with an average expenditure of €350,000 each year.

This segment is further divided into three levels, ranging from people who spend €50,000 to €300,000 annually to those who reach up to a million per year, culminating in the so-called “Uber Money” tier that exceeds this threshold. In short, this group represents 1% of the actual customer base, and each of these few individuals is worth as much to fashion as 230 "normal" aspirational customers who spend up to €2,000: they account for 21% of the total luxury expenditure.

Needless to say, in an era where wealth has never been as concentrated as it is now, this ultra-rich customer segment has doubled its relevance to brands over the past decade, and now it would be impossible to do without them without causing the entire house of cards to collapse.

In the coming years, it is likely that all brand strategies will focus precisely on the goal of retaining these clients. To win them over, brands have first learned to identify them and understand what they desire most: exclusivity, absolute quality of products and services, and unique experiences.

In other words, the world's leading luxury brands will soon be forced to fight over the money and, in some cases, the affection of half a million individuals scattered around the world with deep pockets who are the only ones who can keep them alive.

The truth is that the success or failure of a brand, as well as the ebb and flow of its fortunes, is in the hands of that half a million clients scattered around the world who could, if they wished, buy entire collections and ten iterations of the same bag without batting an eyelid.