Raffles Family Office CIO responsibilities will be assumed by Citi Private Bank veteran Ken Peng following his appointment as the multi-family office’s first chief investment officer. Peng will be based in Hong Kong and report to group CEO Chi Man Kwan. He will lead the firm’s investment function, shape overall investment strategy and provide stakeholders with views on macroeconomic developments, investment themes and portfolio sustainability. He brings more than 20 years of

FSB AI financial risks are increasing as advanced artificial intelligence changes the speed, scale and cost of cyberattacks, Financial Stability Board Chair Andrew Bailey has warned. In a letter to G20 finance ministers and central bank governors, Bailey said many jurisdictions lacked sufficiently developed systems to manage the deployment of advanced AI. He identified AI-driven cyber threats as the most immediate concern, warning that financial institutions’ dependence on a

The Lawrence Ho family office is expanding into space technology through a USD1bn de-SPAC transaction involving Singapore-based satellite communications company Astrum Space. Black Spade Capital, the family office of Macau billionaire Lawrence Ho, will merge Astrum with Black Spade Acquisition III in its third de-SPAC transaction. The combined company intends to seek a listing on the New York Stock Exchange. Founded in 2023, Astrum is developing a satellite-to-device communic

Singapore family office gold allocations can now increase without breaching tax-incentive conditions after the Monetary Authority of Singapore removed a 5% portfolio cap on precious metals from Aug. 1. The change applies to funds and family offices operating under the Section 13O and 13U tax-exemption schemes, giving qualifying investors greater flexibility to hold physical gold as a geopolitical and portfolio hedge. Raffles Family Office said its baseline allocation remains

Family office relocation is being considered by more than half of wealthy families surveyed as geopolitical risk, cybersecurity concerns and access to specialist talent drive demand for multi-jurisdiction structures. Standard Chartered's The Great Repositioning report found that more than 54% of respondents were weighing a move. Foo Tian Ong, Southeast Asia regional head at Standard Chartered Global Private Bank, said Singapore remains attractive because of regulatory and tax

Asia family office sustainable investment allocations are rising, with more family offices committing substantial portions of their portfolios to impact and environmental, social and governance strategies. A Sustainable Finance Initiative survey of 121 family office representatives and principal asset owners found that 27% allocated more than half of their portfolios to sustainable investments in 2026, up from 17% a year earlier. Overall, 58% invested more than 10% of portfol

The first Hong Kong Five-Year Plan will be released alongside Chief Executive John Lee's annual Policy Address on Sept. 16, potentially providing greater clarity on how long-term development priorities connect with immediate government measures. Legislator Bill Tang urged officials to establish measurable performance indicators for innovation and technology, including research and development expenditure as a percentage of gross domestic product and funding for gerontechnolog

Bitcoin Asia 2026 will bring investors, financial institutions and digital asset companies to Hong Kong on Aug. 27-28 as organisers seek to strengthen links between Bitcoin markets in Asia and the West. The two-day conference will be held at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre in Wan Chai and forms part of The Bitcoin Conference series, which organisers describe as the world's largest gathering focused on the cryptocurrency. The programme will feature industry spea

The Hong Kong fintech summit formed by the merger of Hong Kong FinTech Week and StartmeupHK is expected to attract more than 45,000 participants from 120 economies when it takes place on Nov. 2-3, 2026. The combined event at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre will bring together finance, technology, startup and investment communities under the theme “Fintech Nexus: Bridging the World, Building the Future”. Organisers expect around 1,000 speakers, 800 sponsors, exh

Singapore family office legal services are expanding with the launch of The Little Law Corporation, a boutique firm targeting founders, family offices, private equity managers and multinational companies involved in cross-border transactions across Asia. Founder and managing director Shen Xiaoyin has more than 14 years of experience spanning commercial litigation, international arbitration, mergers and acquisitions and investment advisory work. Her previous roles include Alle

Hong Kong remained first in the 2026 Asian Cities Internationality Index, reinforcing the city's position as one of the region's most internationally connected business centres. Hong Kong scored 74.6 points, ranking ahead of Singapore at 72.6. Seoul climbed to third with 69.2, followed by Tokyo at 68.6 and Shanghai at 65.3. The index, commissioned by the Hong Kong General Chamber of Commerce and conducted by Ipsos, assessed 11 cities across multiple measures of international

The responsAbility Asia Climate Fund has closed at USD461m with backing from family offices, institutional investors, foundations and development finance institutions. The private credit vehicle targets companies operating in renewable energy, electric mobility, energy efficiency, circular economy and infrastructure across South and Southeast Asia. Its blended-finance structure uses concessional public-sector capital to mobilise commercial investment, with private commitments

The Asia wealthy insurance market could generate USD100bn to USD140bn in annual new-business premiums by 2030 as family offices and private banks expand insurance-based wealth planning, according to McKinsey & Company. Only around 15% to 20% of Asia’s wealthy individuals currently incorporate life insurance into their financial plans, leaving a substantial portion of the market underserved. Asia-Pacific personal financial assets are forecast to reach USD120tr by 2030, while a

Hong Kong startup support is being expanded through a new HKD10bn (USD1.27bn) technology fund and greater use of patient capital as the city positions itself as a gateway for mainland companies expanding internationally. Innovation Secretary Sun Dong said the Innovation and Technology Industry-Oriented Fund will target life and health technology, artificial intelligence, robotics, semiconductors and smart devices. Hong Kong Investment Corporation Chief Executive Clara Chan sa

Vietnam economic growth accelerated to 8.4% year on year during the second quarter of 2026, exceeding an earlier 7% forecast as manufacturing, construction and domestic demand strengthened. Gross domestic product expanded 8.2% during the first half, while exports jumped 21% to USD266.5bn and foreign investment increased 61% to USD34.65bn. Standard Chartered expects Vietnam’s economy to grow 9.5% in 2026 and accelerate further to 11% in 2027, according to Xinhua. The bank also

New Singapore fund manager tax measures have prompted some investment professionals to pause planned relocations to Hong Kong as competition between the two financial centres intensifies. Bloomberg reported that Singapore-based managers had put relocation decisions on hold after Monetary Authority of Singapore deputy chairman Chee Hong Tat outlined new tax and visa incentives during a Singapore Financial Leaders Network meeting. Singapore plans to exempt qualifying profit-rel

Indian family offices Singapore structures are gaining renewed interest as some private banks resume facilitating offshore remittances despite continuing regulatory uncertainty in India. The Economic Times reported that around INR15bn (USD171m) had been transferred over the past two months, with a Singapore bank, two law firms and a wealth manager advising families across major Indian cities. Banks had largely stopped facilitating such transactions after a Reserve Bank of Ind

The Azalea evergreen private equity fund has attracted family offices, private banks and wealthy individuals from across Asia as the Temasek-linked investment manager raised more than USD1bn across three vehicles. Azalea All Access secured more than USD350m in initial commitments and offers exposure to private equity secondaries and co-investments through monthly subscriptions and quarterly redemptions. Azalea also closed Altrium Private Equity Fund III at USD526m in June and

Hong Kong annuity payments China access has improved after HKMC Annuity introduced direct monthly yuan payments for eligible retirees living in mainland China. The company, a subsidiary of Hong Kong Mortgage Corporation, will use Payment Connect to transfer guaranteed annuity income directly into qualifying mainland bank accounts. Its servicing bank will convert Hong Kong dollar-denominated annuity payments into yuan before sending them through the cross-border system, which

Philippine stock broker capital requirements could be increased as the Securities and Exchange Commission seeks to strengthen investor confidence and deepen domestic capital markets. SEC Chairman Francis Lim said the current PHP100m (USD1.6m) minimum capital threshold was established 25 years ago, while some brokerages continue operating with capital of about PHP30m. Lim said brokers need sufficient resources to support investor education, compliance and increasingly complex