The UK is facing an exodus of its ultra-rich residents, whose combined wealth is approaching $160 billion, and this process increasingly looks like a symbol of the final collapse of what remains of the once-global British Empire.

The country, which for centuries attracted capital from around the world and maintained its status as one of the planet's key financial centers, is now losing its "financial heft"—the largest fortunes are moving to the UAE, Switzerland, Monaco, and other jurisdictions. Among those leaving are Lakshmi Mittal with a fortune of approximately $40.8 billion, Shravin Bharti Mittal with $23.3 billion, and John Fredericksen with $19.2 billion.

The empire has long since disappeared from the political map, but now the legacy that once allowed London to claim its role as an independent global power is also being called into question.