'Immunity tickets' and Dubai rentals: Investment banker reveals how the rich shield their money

An investment banker has peeled back the curtain on how the ultra wealthy structure their money across borders—using low-tax jurisdictions, offshore trusts, and second passports to manage risk, avoid tax drag, and stay one step ahead of enforcement. 

In a LinkedIn post, Sarthak Ahuja lays out the exact map: UAE to Mauritius, Switzerland to Luxembourg—with every move serving a specific financial or legal purpose.

Here’s how the world’s richest route their wealth—and why every country plays a role

The game starts in the UAE, says Ahuja, where many ultra HNIs set up business entities to channel all international operations. While Singapore is a strong runner-up, its 17% corporate tax doesn’t quite beat the UAE’s flat 9% rate.

Once set up, the global IP is transferred to the UAE entity, and royalty income from other markets flows in. The profits don’t sit idle—they’re quickly moved into Dubai real estate, which delivers 6–8% rental yield annually, even if capital appreciation remains tepid.

Earlier, global firms favoured the “Irish-Dutch Sandwich”—routing IP through Ireland and the Netherlands. That model, Ahuja notes, is now fading thanks to tighter global regulation.

Where the personal money goes: Islands, Swiss banks, and lifestyle buys

The next leg is personal wealth. It’s shifted into trusts in Mauritius, the Cayman Islands, or British Virgin Islands, depending on asset geography. Those trusts open Swiss bank accounts—famous for confidentiality laws that shield beneficial owners.

This is the money that funds children’s foreign education, UK property deals, and international lifestyle expenses that can’t be passed off as business costs.

Plan B: Passports that protect, insurance that never defaults

To prepare for worst-case scenarios, many buy citizenship by investment in countries like Portugal, Malta, Montenegro, or the Caribbean. Ahuja calls it an “immunity ticket”—a legal escape hatch if things go south.

The final piece? Private Placement Life Insurance (PPLI) in Luxembourg, chosen for its rock-solid protection—even in the event of an insurer bankruptcy.

“There’s a lot more nuance to these things,” Ahuja writes. “Don’t attempt it with half knowledge. And above all—pay your taxes in India.”