Sovereign wealth funds (SWFs) have long shaped financial markets through meticulous governance, multi-decade foresight, and strategic asset allocation. Now, a growing number of affluent families see parallels between SWFs’ institutional rigor and the framework required to achieve meaningful, long-term philanthropy. By weaving in principles like transparency, diversification, and disciplined governance — plus leveraging platforms such as Altoo’s for centralised oversight — families can better direct their capital toward sustained global impact.
Following our exploration of sovereign wealth fund (SWF) governance frameworks in our previous article, this second piece on the SWF-UHNWI connection examines how the investment strategies of these massive state-owned vehicles offer valuable principles that UHNWIs can adapt to their own wealth management approaches.
On 3 February 2025, US President Trump signed an executive order to formulate a plan for creating a federal-level sovereign wealth fund (SWF). This initiative will obviously have implications for global markets, but it also invites UHNWIs to consider what can be learned through observing these massive state-owned investment vehicles in general. In many ways, SWFs' objectives mirror those of ultra-high-net-worth individuals and their families - both are focused on growing and preserving wealth across generations while balancing risk and opportunity. Starting with this piece on SWF governance, over the coming weeks we will explore the striking parallels between sovereign
At some point, all wealth owners lose direct control of their finances, and inadequate preparations around this hard truth – especially in case this point comes earlier than expected or in other unpredictable circumstances – are one of the greatest risks to a UHNWI's legacy. This article outlines three essential “legacy guardrails” the ultra-wealthy should have to protect the future of their wealth when they are not actively managing it.
According to some estimates, fine art worth billions of dollars has been lost to the Los Angeles wildfires of January 2025. While one-of-a-kind paintings and other forms of collectibles typically kept on display can be insured and secured against many forms of risk, they are relatively difficult to move out of harm’s way in the event of a catastrophic natural disaster. For UHNWIs with homes around the world, the recent tragedy in Los Angeles raises an important question: in which geographic location will collectibles be at least risk of force majeure? This article outlines answers based on widely understood science
Ultra-high-net-worth individuals (UHNWIs) often prefer to keep a low profile. Yet in today’s digital era, discretion alone no longer suffices. Cybercriminals now target family offices—the specialized entities managing the wealth and affairs of the world’s wealthiest families.
Cyberattacks on financial institutions are hardly rare these days, yet few entities shoulder as much risk as family offices tasked with safeguarding ultra-high-net-worth (UHNW) clients. IBM Security’s “Cost of a Data Breach” report places the global average expense of a breach at $4.45 million, noting that incursions into financial services typically run almost 10 percent higher than those in other sectors.

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