What Is a Family Office?
A family office is an entity created to professionally manage the wealth and affairs of an ultra-high-net-worth family, preserving and growing wealth across generations. Here is what a family office does, the main types, and how to know if you need one.
Family office types
The main types of family office
Single-family office (SFO)
Serves one family exclusively. The most customised, private and control-heavy model, with a dedicated team built entirely around one family's wealth, governance and lifestyle needs.
What is a family office?
A family office is an entity created to professionally manage the wealth and affairs of ultra-high-net-worth families, with the core objective of preserving and growing wealth across generations. It consolidates investment oversight, financial planning, tax and estate strategy, and often extends to concierge and lifestyle services tailored to a family's unique needs.
Family offices can take different forms: single-family offices (SFOs) serve one family exclusively, offering highly customized, private solutions; multi-family offices (MFOs) share resources across multiple families to reduce costs; and virtual models leverage external providers to deliver services without a full internal team. Establishing a family office involves diligent planning around governance, talent, and technology to align with long-term goals and legacy ambitions.
Must reads
Family Office Compensation & Salary Guide 2026: Pay by Role, AUM & Region
A Simple Guide to Risk & Resilience
A Family Office Guide on Governance Pitfalls
A Simple Guide to the Single Family Office
Family office structure: A Simple guide
How to start a family office
A Simple guide to family offices
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Alternative Assets
Alternative assets are non-traditional holdings, such as private equity, real estate, and digital assets, used by family offices to diversify and build resilient portfolios.
Alternative Investments
Alternative investments are non-traditional strategies, like private equity, hedge funds, and real assets, used by family offices to diversify portfolios and enhance returns.
Anti-Money Laundering (AML)
Regulations and procedures intended to prevent criminals from disguising illegally obtained funds as legitimate income.
Asset Allocation
The process of distributing investments among various asset classes to balance risk and reward according to an individual’s goals. The process of dividing a portfolio among different asset classes, such as stocks, bonds, and real estate.
Asset Management
The direction of a client’s cash and securities by a financial services company, usually an investment bank.
Assets Under Administration (AUA)
The total value of assets managed for clients, including reporting and safekeeping, but without direct investment authority.
“Working with family offices from a variety of viewpoints, I have been actively exposed to key changes in the industry over the past decades: from the organisational and technical transformation of family offices to the needs and expectations of the next gen.”
Martin Stadler
Partner & Strategic Advisor
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Regions
See all regions
Mauritius
Explore what Mauritius has to offer for family offices. Learn more about their lifestyle benefits, transparent regulation and professional services for long-term stewardship.
Italy
From the landscapes of Sicily, to the flashy fashion runways of Milan, Italy has strategically positioned itself as a pivotal European domicile for sophisticated wealth management with its Its targeted fiscal reforms and progressive governmental policy changes.
Texas
Despite some challenges, such as federal regulations and immigration issues, Texas continues to be a preferred location for family offices looking for a stable and prosperous environment.
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Subscribe on SubstackJuly Repriced Intelligence. Most Family Offices Need To Reprice Their Thinking
Inkling, Kimi K3 and Jensen Huang's first post on X, and what a fast-moving, (increasingly open) model market means for how an office buys.
19 Jul 2026The one-person family office is real.
The debate about the wealth threshold has raged in the industry for ages. And what changed is not the number that justified the existence of a family office but the headcount.