Global Family Offices Face $83 Trillion Wealth Transfer Challenge

Family offices worldwide are facing unprecedented challenges that require a complete overhaul of traditional wealth preservation strategies, according to a new report launched at London's inaugural Global Family Office Summit.
 

The comprehensive study, Global Family Office Review 2025: Navigating the Future of Private Capital and the Family Office, was released by EXANTE as family office leaders gathered at Mansion House for the Lord Mayor's summit. The report warns that 2025 represents a critical turning point for the sector.
 

Dr Renée Friedman, Global Head of Research at EXANTE
 

Dr Renée Friedman, Global Head of Research at EXANTE, who authored the white paper, draws on insights from major financial institutions including BCG, UBS, Goldman Sachs, and BlackRock to highlight the mounting pressures facing family offices.

The research identifies several key trends reshaping the family office landscape. An $83 trillion wealth transfer is expected over the next two decades, driven by inheritance tax reforms and generational shifts that will particularly impact UK family office portfolios following October 2024 reforms.
 

Geopolitical factors have emerged as the dominant concern, with 84% of family offices citing geopolitics as their single biggest risk. This has led to significant changes in capital allocation strategies as protectionism, tariffs, and sanctions reshape investment approaches.
 

Traditional safe-haven assets are showing signs of strain, with bonds and prime real estate carrying heightened risk levels. This has pushed family offices into unprecedented risk-management mode and increased allocation to alternative asset classes.
 

Technology adoption is accelerating rapidly within the sector. The report found that 86% of family offices have some form of investment in artificial intelligence, while one-third now hold cryptocurrency assets. This shift has been supported by clearer regulatory frameworks in the UK, US and EU.
 

The UK faces particular challenges as non-domiciled resident reforms, inheritance tax changes and anticipated fiscal tightening in November's Budget are forcing family offices to reconsider their structures and locations.
 

"The traditional playbook for family wealth no longer applies. Geopolitical volatility, tax shocks, and rapid technological disruption mean family offices must reassess everything from portfolio diversification to succession governance — or risk being left behind." 
~ Dr Renée Friedman, Global Head of Research at EXANTE

Lord Mayor of London, Alastair King

Lord Mayor of London, Alastair King, emphasised the importance of the sector to UK innovation and investment, noting family offices' significant contribution to venture capital funding.

 

"Family offices are driving the future of innovation and investment in the UK. They are behind a remarkable amount of venture capital flowing into UK startups—fuelling nearly a third of the entire market. We are entering a new chapter—one defined by shifting regulations, global uncertainty, economic turbulence, and rapid tech transformation. That is why I launched the UK's first Global Family Office Summit: to spotlight London as a powerhouse for private capital and spark vital conversations about how the UK can stay ahead in a fast-changing financial world." 
~Lord Mayor of London, Alastair King

The report suggests that family offices can build resilience by partnering with regulated, globally connected platforms that provide efficient access to both traditional and alternative asset classes across multiple jurisdictions.
 

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