How to deal with family members by marriage poses significant challenges to wealthy families. Should they be allowed to work in the family business? If so, should there be a ceiling on their authority (stock, voting rights, etc)? Do they have a seat/voice at family meetings? What if the only person in the rising generation with the skills to be involved in the family business is a child-in-law? What to do when a marriage is…
The family office space is constantly evolving. This is driven in part by the investment flavour of the month, global economic/political trends, wealth transition within families, the family follow-me-go-round (families looking at what others are doing), and the general competitive environment amongst FO offerings. Essentially, a family office is a set of services used by a wealth family to manage its wealth and other associated needs. There are no rules for how a FO can…
Transitioning a business is a once-in-a-lifetime event, and “entitlement” comes up in almost every family discussion, presentation or lecture I give. It has become almost a dirty word when it comes to family wealth – something to be avoided at all cost. “How can I prevent my children from becoming entitled?” is what most every parent wants to know. When it comes to family business, transcending the negative impact of entitlement can be achieved by…
Consider This: Are you (and your family) aware of both the direct and indirect ways wealth is transmitted? This can make for a good family discussion about the value and meaning of wealth.
And does being ‘happy’ mean something different to those who have wealth and those who don’t? These are the questions considered in a recent research study. Most anyone who has wealth would find it obvious that the answer to the first question is a resounding ‘no’, but it takes the rigour of an academic to first define happiness (life satisfaction and a set of distinct positive emotions), and then examine the correlation between them and…
Consider this from two perspectives: the family and the individual. Do families demand that younger generations prove themselves in some way, perhaps before being allowed to join the family business or take some other role with respect to the family assets? The other side is the view of the younger family member. Being born into wealth can be a lodestone, especially the way ‘privilege’ is a dirty word in some circles. The world loves a…
“How do I transfer wealth to my children without spoiling them?” That would be the most common question I am asked, and for most people, stands at the heart of the challenge of wealth transition. But often this question masks what parents really want, e.g. “how do I get my children to do/be what I want?” That question is not about wealth, but about parental power and control. And when parents say “I don’t want…
You may have seen the latest viral meme sweeping the internet. “OK, Boomer” is the response of younger people to complaints by older people about their behaviour and attitudes. Readers of this newsletter may know my attitude to the whole “generation wars” narrative – it’s a load of crap and we shouldn’t get caught up in it. Older people have been complaining about younger people for as long as there have been multiple generations on…
Having independent voices – around the board table, or generally advising the family – can be very helpful to unpack complex, multi-layered issues. They can also assist with the establishment of more formal (but not necessarily too formal) governance and dispute resolution processes.
Women are at least 50% of the population, yet historically have been poorly represented in the wealth industry – as custodians and managers of family wealth, in family business, and as advisors. But that is changing on all fronts. The percentage of wealth in the world held by women is steadily growing – as a result of inheritance (females generally outlive their husbands), divorce and entrepreneurship. In the Middle East, 20-40% of wealth is held…
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