US billionaires’ demand for ‘golden passport’ schemes that sell citizenships to ‘safe’ countries for up to $6.5m including New Zealand and Portugal rockets by 337% in three years as fears of civil unrest spike

[Golwalkar]

• 'Golden passport' sales among U.S. billionaires have spiked by 337 percent since 2019 as fears grow over the pandemic, climate change and civil unrest
• Companies helping the rich acquire the extra citizenships say their clients have learned how vulnerable they are due to the pandemic and its travel restrictions
• The wealthy are worried about the future of America following scores of nationwide protests since 2019 that continue to leave the nation divided
• New Zealand, Portugal, Malta and Austria are among the most popular destinations that offer a slew of advantages for its applicants

 

 

 

Former Google CEO Eric Schmidt reportedly applied for European citizen in 2020 through Cyprus' now-defunct golden passport program. 

 

Reaz Jafri, CEO of Dasein Advisors, said he has received more American inquiries over the past three years than the previous 20 years combined. He said his US clients often work in tech, real estate, or crypto, and are worth between $50 million and $20 billion. 

The one thing they all have in common: deep-rooted fear about the future of American society, he said. 

From a tech founder concerned about the rise in Asian-American hate crimes to young web3 entrepreneurs looking to avoid tax hikes, Jafri said wealthy clients across the political spectrum are planning for the worst.

"We've all lived through the past two and a half years," Jafri said. "It all just reminded us how vulnerable and frail we are, and people who have means are accepting that it will happen again — and they don't want to be caught off guard."