Legacy, Resilience, and Purpose Take Center Stage for Family Offices

UHNW (Ultra High Net Worth) families operate in an increasingly complex and uncertain world, the authors of the study published on Tuesday write. In light of geopolitical volatility, economic fragmentation, and technological disruption, families are working more closely with wealth planners. Overall, families are placing greater emphasis on legacy, purpose, and resilience. Strategies are being adjusted not only to enhance returns and preserve wealth, but also increasingly to shape a more conscious, intergenerational future, the report says. Real Estate and Private Markets Dominate Wealth preservation—and the associated transfer to the next generation—remains a top priority. With this long-term mindset, real estate and private markets continue to dominate the investment landscape. Families want to have greater influence over how and where their capital is deployed. «We are witnessing a more engaged, purposeful, and globally oriented community of ultra-wealthy families (UHNW) who, despite geopolitical headwinds, want to shape the future on their own terms,» the study states. 2,500 Internal and External Experts Surveyed According to the report, around 2,500 internal and external experts from Europe, Asia, the Middle East, and Latin America were surveyed for this edition. Globally, around 60 percent of ultra-wealthy families still do not make use of family office solutions. Among those who do, single family offices lead with about 21 percent, followed by multi-, hybrid-, or virtual structures. High Proportion in Asia A striking regional difference emerges. The highest proportion of families using some form of family office is found in Asia (43 percent), while the lowest is in Latin America (38 percent). In Asia, family offices have evolved from a niche phenomenon into a strategic priority.«As generational wealth matures and families become more globally dispersed, Singapore and Hong Kong have developed into the region’s most dynamic hubs for those seeking to simplify complexity and build lasting legacies,» the authors write The biggest hurdle to switching to a family office model is cited as high costs, followed by the complexity of wealth management. Additionally, many families perceive their wealth as not large enough, or the expected benefits as too limited. Cross-Border Tax Optimization and Succession Planning For those adopting family office solutions, tax optimization and succession planning across multiple jurisdictions are top priorities. The study also points to two trends becoming increasingly clear:When it comes to succession planning and wealth transfer, the focus is no longer merely on passing assets from one generation to the next — many ultra-wealthy families now span multiple generations. The gender aspect is also gaining importance. The share of wealth controlled by women is expected to grow in the coming years, partly due to higher average life expectancy.