Francois Botha
Francois is the founder and CEO of Simple, where he works with family offices on strategy, governance and the practical adoption of AI. He grew up in a family-owned luxury travel business in Cape Town, South Africa, and has spent the last decade writing, speaking and advising on how private wealth is run.
- Region
- United Kingdom, Switzerland
- Based in
- Copenhagen, Denmark
- Interests
- Art, Digital, Impact Strategy
- Services
- Business transformation, Strategic foresight, Technology advisory
Francois founded Simple to give family offices better tools and clearer thinking than the industry tends to offer them. His academic background is in strategic business and brand management. His practical one began in a family-owned luxury travel business in Cape Town, South Africa.
He knows the dynamics of working alongside family members firsthand, and helps family-owned firms build on what they already do well rather than importing a corporate template that rarely fits.
His weekly Forbes column covered family office leadership and technology. He now leads Simple's research programme, including the annual Software and Technology Report and the Trusted AI work published in 2026.
Francois has lectured at IMD and Copenhagen Business School, and will lecture at the University of Zurich on AI for family offices. He speaks at industry gatherings including SuperReturn West, and hosts Simple's Closed Door Sessions, a series of invitation-only discussions for family office principals and advisors.
He is quoted in the Financial Times, Crain Currency, the Australian Financial Review and The Business Times, and has contributed to research from UBS, Morgan Stanley, KPMG and Julius Baer.
Insights Francois Botha has written
How to Evaluate Family Office Software in 2026
OperationsMost guidance on family office software is published by the vendors themselves. This guide sets out a vendor-neutral process for small family office teams: how to set and sort your requirements, map the stack you already have, use a vendor directory to build a defensible shortlist, and compare platforms on asset class coverage, workflow fit, governance and control, and reporting complexity. Includes a weighted scoring approach, a vendor question bank and a five year cost model.
Closed Door Sessions: From Capacity to Consequence
The Closed Door Sessions 2026 brought together 40 participants and 10 moderators across five tables to examine how contemporary societies can convert capacity — awareness, capital and technological capability — into legitimate, accountable and socially useful action. This executive summary presents the central proposition, six principal findings and eight unresolved questions from the inquiry.
AI for family offices: Strategy & governance
GovernanceComprehensive guide to AI strategy and governance for family offices, with insights, practical steps, and safeguards for responsible adoption.
Family Office Market Size: How many family offices are there?
BenchmarkingEveryone seems to have a different number for how many family offices exist worldwide. Estimates range from 3,500 to 20,000, depending on who you ask. Deloitte’s 2024 report pegs the number at 8,030, growing at 4.8% annually to reach 10,720 by 2030. The Problem with Family Office Estimates Here’s the thing: family offices are private, […]
