Kings and maharajas across history had a deep connection with gold. It wasn’t just about wealth. Possessing gold was a symbol of power and status for them.
In modern times, gold is more than a mere symbol of wealth – it’s the most trusted haven to fall back upon in uncertain times. No wonder, gold is called the King of Uncertain times.
Over the years, gold has evolved as an attractive investment option too. While it usually takes a back seat to stocks and bonds, it’s still widely owned. From central banks to billionaire investors to the common man on the street, gold is highly likely to be in their possession.
Who owns the most gold?
If gold is such a prized asset, who could be the largest gold owners in the world? Before we get into that, let’s take a quick look at how much gold there is in the world.
The World Gold Council estimates that around 2,16,265 tonnes of gold have been mined throughout history.
Gold is a sign of wealth, and America represents it like no other nation. As of December 2024, the USA held the highest gold reserve of 8,134 tonnes, followed by Germany. Way behind are China and India with 2,280 tonnes and 876 tonnes of gold in their reserve, respectively.
But that’s about the government’s gold holdings. What about individuals?
There is a long list of individuals with the largest private gold holdings in the world. Let’s see.
Family-level ownership of Gold tells a different story
When it comes to gold ownership, Indian households are considered to hoard the most. According to some estimates, Indian families own about 24,000 tonnes of gold. That’s almost as much as what all the world’s central banks hold combined. In comparison, Chinese households are estimated to hold 20,000 tonnes of gold.
Ever wonder which individual owns the most gold?
Some of the biggest names holding gold in their portfolio include renowned investors such as John Paulson, Eric Sprott, George Soros, and Ray Dalio, amongst others, who strategically invest in gold to diversify their portfolios.
The Saudi royal family is known to hold a large quaintly of gold. Oil, the black gold, has helped the Saudi royal family to accumulate enormous wealth, placing them among the richest families in the world with substantial gold holdings. The House of Saud, comprising nearly 15,000 royal family members, has a wealth of $1.4 trillion, including gold investments.
Talking of large gold owners, two names that are certain to come up are John Paulson and Eric Sprott.
John Paulson, a billionaire hedge fund manager, is one of the biggest private gold holders. He is known for betting big on gold, especially as he is a believer that the US dollar will weaken in the future.
Interestingly, Paulson was once close to Donald Trump and was even considered for the position of Treasury Secretary. Since Trump’s tariff announcements, gold prices have surged in favour of Paulson.
Eric Sprott, a Canadian billionaire with a net worth of over $1.1 billion, is another strong believer in gold and silver. He has invested about 90% of his funds into these two metals.
George Soros and Ray Dalio are also known to have substantial exposure to gold in their portfolio. George Soros, a billionaire renowned for his astute investments, holds $264 million each in SPDR Gold Trust and Barrick Gold Corp ETFs. Ray Dalio, founder of Bridgewater Associates, has always been bullish on gold and advises avoiding debt assets amid rising debt concerns in major economies.
Stanley Druckenmiller cannot be ignored when large gold owners are being discussed. Druckenmiller’s net worth is around $6.9 billion, and he is also heavily invested in gold, especially gold mining ETFs.
Most of these multi-billionaire investors have exposure to paper gold by investing through gold exchange-traded funds and into stocks of gold mining companies. No wonder, total assets under management of global gold ETF holdings are 3,445 tonnes, of which SPDR Gold Shares, the largest gold ETF scheme, holds 933.1 tonnes.
Here’s one celebrity investor who suggests physical gold. Robert Kiyosaki, known for the Rich Dad Poor Dad series of personal finance books, advocates for physical gold investment.
The reason why central banks and Billionaires buy gold is to diversify their portfolio and to act as a hedge against inflation and currency devaluation.
Also Read: Gold Price Prediction: Gold expected to post 71% return in 2025
For people like you and me, possessing something solid like gold comes with a sense of security. In India cost of gold today is Rs 95,240 and is inching towards the Rs 1 lakh mark. In the international market, gold is at $3,333, up by 40% in the last 1-year.
Gold trumps all other assets when it comes to safety. That’s why it has always been the buy-and-forget investment. But yes, don’t go overboard and keep only around 10% of your portfolio exposed to gold.
Also Read: Gold Hits Record High in 2025: A Year-to-date review amid global risk and recession fears