China's billionaires lead the wealth march

It's no secret that the drivers of global economic expansion have transformed over the past few decades. Twenty years ago, growth was fuelled by the international expansion of multinational companies, as they sought new markets and exploited the supply of cheap labour in the East.

The times have changed. The tide has reversed, with the East becoming the exporter of wealth.

The Asian Development Bank estimated earlier this year that the region would deliver 60 percent of worldwide economic expansion next year. And capital and labor-intensive industries are no longer the drivers of wealth creation, with technology and services now at the vanguard.