Standard Chartered cashes in on rising wealth demand as it hikes boss’s pay

Standard Chartered has revealed surging profits and its boss landing a nearly £13 million pay packet, as it took advantage of global trade uncertainty and a growing pool of affluent customers.

It reported a pre-tax profit of seven billion dollars (£5.2 billion) for 2025, up from six billion dollars (£4.5 billion) the previous year.

This was helped by income from its wealth division soaring by 24% year on year and its global banking arm being up by 15%.

Standard Chartered’s chief executive Bill Winters said that “shifts in trade and investment driven by geopolitical changes have worked in our favour” during the year.

This was largely because of its presence in Asia, Africa and the Middle East meaning it could help customers “navigate” change in relation to trade, investment and wealth.

Trade tensions around the world escalated in 2025, with Donald Trump’s tariff policy increasing the average tax rate on imports to the world’s largest economy.

The bank said tariffs were a “focal point” during the year and that uncertainties remain, especially for countries more reliant on exporting such as in South East Asia.

It also pointed to rising demand for its wealth products, with the number of affluent customers growing in its biggest markets and becoming increasingly international.

Some 275,000 new affluent customers joined the bank last year and it gained 52 billion dollars (£38.6 billion) of net new money from the cohort.

On the back of the increased profits, Standard Chartered revealed that total pay for top boss Mr Winters rose to £12.7 million last year after he landed £10.5 million in bonuses and share awards.

The bank said it was an “excellent year” for the chief executive who showed a “relentless focus” in achieving the bank’s key targets for 2025.

But the firm said Mr Winters’ long-term bonus shares for 2025 were awarded in 2023 and will be subject to tests against performance targets in March 2026, adding that last year also saw changes to the remuneration policy that lowered fixed pay and increased the potential for bonuses.

Staff across the bank also shared a 1.86 billion US dollars (£1.38 billion) bonus pool for 2025, up 10% on the previous year, according to its annual report.

Mr Winters is also in line for a £7.4 million long-term incentive award next month, worth 490% of his salary, as well as a 2% increase to his fixed pay.

Mr Winters said: “2025 was another year of strong momentum.

“We are seeing robust growth in our larger markets and structural shifts in global trade and investment play to our distinctive strengths serving our clients’ cross-border and affluent banking needs.”

The bank also announced a new 1.5 billion dollar (£1.1 billion) share buyback programme.