Why America’s Wealthiest Are Quietly Planning Their Exit—and What It Really Says About the New American Dream
At a sleek sushi bar tucked along Los Angeles' Sunset Boulevard, Mark paused midair with his chopsticks. A successful early-stage investor in a tech startup, Mark had made millions in recent years. But that night, the conversation wasn’t about markets or AI trends—it was about Italy.
“I’m serious about buying that villa at the foot of the Tuscan hills,” he said. “Not just for the view. For peace of mind.”
Across the table, his friend Lily—an advisor for a prominent family office—nodded knowingly. She had just helped a client secure a Golden Visa from Greece. “He told me,” she laughed, “that dollars don’t give him security anymore.”
Mark isn’t alone.
More and more high-net-worth Americans are no longer just diversifying their investment portfolios—they’re diversifying their citizenship. According to The 2025 USA Wealth Report released by global consultancy Henley & Partners, inquiries from wealthy U.S. citizens seeking second residency or foreign citizenship jumped an eye-popping 183% in Q1 of 2025 compared to the same time last year.
Let that sink in: nearly double the inquiries from all other leading investor nations—Turkey, India, the U.K.—combined.
While many headlines might want you to believe this is just about “Trump anxiety” ahead of the November election, the reality runs much deeper. According to Basil Mohr-Elzeki, managing partner at Henley & Partners North America, this is about strategic long-term planning—not emotional reactions to politics.
“These Americans aren’t just fantasizing about living abroad,” he said. “They’re acting on it.”
For the wealthiest 1%, a second passport is no longer a luxury—it’s an insurance policy. In a world where political tensions, tax regulations, and economic turbulence seem more volatile than ever, securing a legal foothold in another nation is becoming the new form of risk management. Mohr-Elzeki calls it a “well-considered Plan B—enhancing family resilience, unlocking global opportunities, and safeguarding multi-generational wealth.”
Put simply, people aren’t leaving America. They’re expanding their options.
Peter Spiro, a law professor at Temple University and an expert in citizenship law, notes a profound shift: “An American passport, once thought of as a golden ticket, is no longer viewed as an impenetrable shield. Dual citizenship, once considered indulgent, is now part of the new American dream.”
And it makes sense. After all, what is insurance if not a hedge against the unknown?
Let’s be honest—this isn’t about fleeing. It’s about flexibility.
Where are they going?
Europe remains the crown jewel. Countries like Greece, Italy, Portugal, and Switzerland offer attractive residency-by-investment programs, promising not just stunning scenery and a pleasant lifestyle, but also business advantages and visa-free access to much of the world.
Lily’s client, for example, recently purchased a garden home on the outskirts of Athens. “I asked him—Greece has taxes too, why move there?” she said. “He answered: It’s not about taxes. It’s about having a Plan B that feels calm.”
That’s the real takeaway.
These Americans aren’t chasing lower taxes—they’re chasing psychological security.
And while Europe tops the list, an increasing number are also eyeing Caribbean nations, Turkey, and even unexpected places like the Pacific island of Nauru. Despite being the third smallest country in the world (after Vatican City and Monaco), Nauru offers a passport with visa-free access to 89 countries, including major commercial hubs like Hong Kong and Singapore, and boasts an investor-friendly tax regime. It’s small, yes, but symbolically powerful—proof that “safe haven” has less to do with size and more to do with certainty.
Ironically, for all this growing interest in other shores, the U.S. is still the world’s dominant force in wealth accumulation. Henley & Partners estimates that over 6 million Americans possess investable assets of $1 million or more, representing 37% of the world’s total millionaire population. In fact, over a third of all global private wealth is still concentrated in the U.S.
So why leave?
Because it’s not about abandoning ship—it’s about building a lifeboat.
It’s like running a global business. You wouldn’t open your only office in one city, would you? You diversify. You expand. You plan for storms, even if the sun is shining today.
Mark, still swirling his untouched tuna sashimi, finally put down his chopsticks. “My biggest concern,” he said, “isn’t the stock market. It’s whether my kids will have the freedom to live the lives they want twenty years from now.”
His tone wasn’t angry or cynical. It was measured. Grounded. Like someone who loves their country deeply—but knows love doesn’t mean putting all your hopes in one basket.
There’s a quote that floats around investment circles: “Where there is freedom, there is home.” But these days, freedom means having choices—not just roots.
So, if your friends start talking about Portuguese tax laws, or debating whether Rome or Zurich has better healthcare—don’t laugh. They’re not being dramatic. They’re writing a second chapter to their American story.
You might not be ready to apply for a foreign passport tomorrow, and that’s fine. But maybe, just maybe, it’s time to ask yourself: