Prince of Liechtenstein Net Worth

What is Hans-Adam II, Prince of Liechtenstein's Net Worth?

Hans-Adam II, Prince of Liechtenstein is a Swiss-Liechtensteiner monarch who has a net worth of $10 billion. The son of Franz Joseph II and Countess Georgina von Wilczek, he became Prince upon the passing of his father in 1989. Hans-Adam has also been involved in various business endeavors, including his family's financial services company LGT Group and the American agribusiness company RiceTec. Thanks to these investments and assets, Hans is one of the richest members of royalty in the world and the richest royal person in Europe.

Family Fortune

Prince Hans-Adam II's estimated net worth stems primarily from his hands-on stewardship of the family's centuries-old dynastic empire, the crown jewel of which is LGT Group, a globally successful private banking and asset-management firm.

While the Liechtenstein family's original wealth began with vast medieval landholdings spanning modern-day Austria, the Czech Republic, Germany, and Hungary—later reduced through expropriation—the family retained valuable timber, farmland, vineyards, and castles. However, modern prosperity came when Hans-Adam II transformed LGT from a small local bank into a global financial powerhouse. As sole beneficiary, he reaped the rewards of its international expansion and surging assets under management, which surpassed $330 billion by the mid-2020s. His leadership also revitalized other family assets: historic castles, a major art collection, vineyards, and agribusinesses such as RiceTec in Texas, all managed under the Prince of Liechtenstein Foundation.

Early Life and Education

Hans-Adam II was born Johannes Adam Ferdinand Alois Josef Maria Marco d'Aviano Pius on February 14, 1945 in Zürich, Switzerland. He is the eldest son of Franz Joseph II and Countess Georgina von Wilczek. Hans-Adam was educated at Schottengymnasium in Vienna and then at Lyceum Alpinium Zuoz in Switzerland. For his higher education, he attended the University of St. Gallen, where he studied business administration.

Prince of Liechtenstein

In 1984, Prince Franz Joseph II formally transferred day-to-day governmental duties to Hans-Adam to prepare his son for the throne. Upon the death of his father in late 1989, Hans-Adam became the new Prince of Liechtenstein. Early in his reign, he was a prominent supporter of Liechtenstein's entry into the United Nations, which successfully occurred in 1990. He also promoted the country's economic and political independence from Switzerland. In 1992, Hans-Adam created a constitutional crisis when he called for a referendum pertaining to Liechtenstein's accession to the European Economic Area to be held before the corresponding one in Switzerland. This was against the wishes of the government. Because of the dispute, Hans-Adam threatened to dissolve the Landtag and fire Prime Minister Hans Brunhart. A public uproar ensued, with thousands protesting in front of the government house. Hans-Adam ultimately relented, and negotiated with the government to schedule his referendum after the one in Switzerland. Liechtenstein went on to join the European Economic Area in 1995.

Hans-Adam caused more controversy in 1995 when he was formally accused of violating freedom of speech laws. This complaint stemmed from a letter he had sent to former Deputy Prime Minister Herbert Willie, in which he said he would not appoint Willie to public office on account of a speech Willie gave about the Prince's executive overreach. In 1999, the European Convention on Human Rights ruled that a violation had indeed taken place, resulting in the conviction of the state of Liechtenstein. However, Hans-Adam continued to push back against limits on his power after that, and in 2003, he successfully created a constitutional referendum to expand his powers. Later, in a 2012 referendum, Liechtenstein voters overwhelmingly rejected proposals to limit the executive powers of the royal family. Meanwhile, Hans-Adam prepared for his eldest son, Alois, to take over as Prince by handing him day-to-day governmental duties, as his own father had previously done for him.

ALEXANDER KLEIN/AFP/Getty Images

Other Endeavors

Before becoming Prince, Hans-Adam worked for his family's company the Liechtenstein Global Trust, which he transformed from a small local bank into the international financial services company LGT Group. He has also been involved in real estate, viticulture, and agriculture, and owns the American hybrid rice seed company RiceTec. Additionally, Hans-Adam is an art collector, having inherited a robust art collection from his family. Much of the collection is displayed at the Liechtenstein Museum at Liechtenstein Garden Palace in Vienna. Elsewhere, he donated $12 million to found the Liechtenstein Institute on Self-Determination at Princeton University's Princeton School of Public and International Affairs. Among his other interests, Hans-Adam is a noted ufologist, and has funded research into UFOs for many decades.

Personal Life

In 1967, Hans-Adam married Countess Marie Kinsky of Wchinitz and Tettau, his second cousin once removed. Together, they had four children: sons Alois, Max, and Constantin, and daughter Tatjana. Their children produced a total of 15 grandchildren. In 2021, Countess Marie Kinsky passed away, and in late 2023 youngest son Constantin died.

Who's Richer?

Prince
of Liechtenstein

Compare!

Hans-Adam
II