Generational Wealth and Succession
This topic brings together family office conversations about governance, wealth transfers, and preparing children to take part. Matthew says dialogue across generations can keep an investment legacy relevant when a founder favors the field that built the family's wealth and children care more about clean energy or blockchain. Kip says succession work should include family relationships and open talks about what the family wants, because unresolved conflict can undo financial work.
Mitzi says families can teach values early through newsletters, webinars, and jobs at different levels based on qualifications, holding relatives to the same performance standard as other employees. Anu says involving the whole family in giving became a turning point after her son-in-law proposed explaining the strategy to grandchildren. Other pages cover founder stories, family business handoffs, office structures, and how families decide what work to handle themselves or delegate. Some also cover teaching grandchildren financial literacy, health, and wellness.
Start with the interviews
Lessons from Richard C. Wilson's one-on-one interviews, as published on each interview page.
- Anu Aga: Check before you give. Study the work of an NGO, ask more questions, and visit it if you can. This leads to an informed decision.
- Tim Draper: Make your customers your sales force. Hotmail put a message at the bottom of the screen inviting people to get free email. It spread to 11 million users.
- Don Wenner: Commit to scale. Don's major turning point came when he decided to build a great company that makes an impact. Making money and being successful was not enough for him.
Videos
- How Family Offices Keep Generations in Conversation: Two families use retreats and regular meetings to keep relatives involved in family governance and succession.
- How Billion Dollar Family Offices Serve Wealthy Families: What family office leaders say about client fit, advisory work, trust and direct investing.
- Family Office Views on Governance and Generational Wealth: See how family office panelists approach governance, decision rights and conversations about risk.
- Family Office Creation Case Studies and Lessons: Anonymized family cases show how office structure, client relationships, and preparation shape the work.
- How the Family Office Industry Developed: Richard C. Wilson traces the family office idea from trusted stewardship to modern office models.
- Tom Handler on Structuring Wealth Across Generations: Tom explains how positioning, coordinated advice and preparation shape long-term wealth decisions.
- How Family Offices Decide What to Outsource: A framework for assigning investment decisions and execution to family offices, advisors and deal partners.
- Preparing the Next Generation for Family Office Roles: Ways to introduce younger relatives to work, family values and financial responsibility.
- Joel Nagel on Client Trust and Family Wealth: Joel explains how he builds client trust, grows a focused practice and prepares families for long-term stewardship.
- Richard C. Wilson on Running a Virtual Family Office: A practical framework for designing a virtual family office around the work it needs to handle.
- Richard C. Wilson on the Future of Single Family Offices: A look at Wilson's forecast for single family offices, from operating models to public profiles.
- Richard C. Wilson's Family Office Startup Suggestions: A practical framework for planning a family office around the families it serves.
- How Family Offices Bring the Next Generation Into Wealth: See how family office guests involve younger generations in meetings, philanthropy and investing.
- Why Richard C. Wilson Sees Family Offices Growing: A concise account of how provider thresholds, service models and awareness are changing.
- How Families Plan Multi-Generational Wealth Transfers: A family office overview of wealth transfers, distribution choices and the professionals who support them.
- How a Multifamily Office Serves Families Under 300 Million: See how Kip approaches family office services, investment diversification and philanthropy for families under 300 million.
- How Family Offices Build Trust Before a Deal: See how family office panelists assess trust before deciding whether to spend time on an opportunity.
- Richard C. Wilson on Health and Wealth: Richard C. Wilson explains why health belongs in wealthy families' planning and describes ways to approach proactive care.
- Richard C. Wilson on the Family Office Industry: A concise overview of family office structures, investing priorities, privacy and locations.
- Richard C. Wilson on Health as Part of Wealth Planning: How Richard connects health choices with the capacity to manage wealth.
- Why Investors Choose a Family Office: Learn how family office structures, staffing, fees, and family priorities shape the choices investors face.
- Legal and Governance Risks for Family Office Wealth: How asset division, trust rules, and family governance can affect the way wealth carries on.
- How a Boutique Firm Connects Asian Capital to U.S. Investments: See how one advisor approaches cross-border mandates, family businesses, and next-generation support.
- Patrick on Deal Selection, Housing and Family Wealth: See how Patrick evaluates partners, chooses investments and talks with his daughter about money.
Questions answered
- How can investors buy service businesses facing succession gaps?: Renan says he looks for service businesses whose owners lack succession plans. He meets owners in person to check for a fit with them and their employees. His t
- What advice did panelists give for building a family office that lasts?: Rodrigo links costly changes later to mistakes made at the start, so an office's early setup can shape what it can change as it grows.
- How do wealthy families pass wealth across generations?: Vince said this planning requires giving up control of assets. Bank funding and replacing withdrawals let money in the trust compound.
- How can philanthropy prepare children to inherit family wealth?: Robert connected family philanthropy to a practical gap: children may inherit real estate wealth without knowing how it works. Foundation work can give them exp
- How do family offices plan multigenerational wealth transfers involving venture capital and private equity?: Bill's estate planning software can include venture capital and private equity in a multigenerational plan. That matters for families whose holdings may be tied
- How can a family office keep its investment strategy relevant across generations?: A founder focused on real estate may not share their children's interest in clean energy or blockchain. Matthew says dialogue can help the family keep its inves
- How can a family office help keep wealth across generations?: He describes a family enterprise office for discussing family roles and a donor advised fund that makes repayable loans to charitable projects.
- How can wealthy families teach children to handle family wealth?: Richard C. Wilson's history teacher and petroleum engineering examples show how salary matching can keep family support from steering a child toward the higher