Lisa Lagace

Wed, Jun 25, 2025, 8:23 AM8 min read

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Last year was an excellent time to be an investor. According to the annual World Wealth Report from Capgemini, 562,000 Americans became millionaires in 2024 — a 7.6% increase from 2023.

This rapid increase had two major contributing factors: interest rate cuts and the explosion of AI investments. Americans invested $109 billion in AI in 2024, far exceeding every other country in the world, according to Stanford University’s 2025 AI Index.

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According to Kris Bitterly, head of Citi Global Wealth at Work, alternative investments are another important element contributing to this rapid wealth accumulation.

“Many investors, presently, when you look at their asset allocations, they’re significantly underweight on alternatives,” Bitterly told Bloomberg, noting that alternatives present “unique opportunities that are not available in public markets that you want to express in your portfolio.”

If you’re interested in exploring some options that are usually reserved for the ultra wealthy, here are a few alternative investments you can easily add to your portfolio today.

Real estate is a well known driver of high-net-worth individuals' wealth. The National Association of Realtors found that approximately 90% of all millionaires in the U.S. grew part of their wealth through real estate.

But it’s not easy to break into property investing if you’re not already wealthy. Many new homeowners can only access the market because their parents have provided the down payment. As Redfin reported, one-third (36%) of Gen Zers and millennials expect to receive a cash gift from family to help fund their down payment.

If you’re considering real estate investing, but don’t have enough saved for the down payment quite yet — or you just don’t want the hassle of being a landlord or homeowner — there are some real estate investment options with a lower barrier to entry.

If you’re not an accredited investor, crowdfunding platforms like Arrived allow you to enter the real estate market for as little as $100.