Tighter offshore trust rules in China are creating uncertainty over Singapore’s appeal to wealthy Chinese families, as Beijing increases scrutiny of offshore trusts and overseas investments following the city-state’s own anti-money-laundering crackdown. Wealth advisers said enquiries from Chinese clients seeking to establish trusts and family offices had slowed, with some plans paused while investors assessed the tax changes. Singapore had more than 2,000 single-family office

Family offices in Asia are expanding beyond property, listed equities and direct business holdings into private equity, infrastructure and alternative investments, as younger generations seek greater diversification and flexibility, EQT executive Sueann Yeo said. Secondaries have become a core portfolio tool, providing diversified private market exposure and distinct cash-flow profiles, while evergreen structures are attracting interest for their greater liquidity flexibility

Ray Dalio, founder of Bridgewater Associates and chairman of the Dalio Family Office, highlighted the importance of family office AI adoption, urging investors and advisers to embrace artificial intelligence to remain competitive as it reshapes investment decision-making. Speaking at the WMI Global-Asia Family Office Summit, Dalio said AI could support research, the definition of decision criteria, back-testing, portfolio construction and execution. Investors should challenge

Family offices in Malaysia are emerging as a potential growth area as wealthy individuals and business owners seek more sophisticated structures to manage and deploy capital, contributing to Southeast Asia’s expanding private markets, according to industry executives. These offices are increasingly looking beyond traditional assets towards private equity, venture capital, infrastructure and direct investments, mirroring developments in Singapore and Hong Kong. Supportive gove

Singapore family office tax exemptions could be expanded to include digital payment tokens and insurance policies as authorities consider giving single family offices greater flexibility in managing investment portfolios. Deputy Prime Minister Gan Kim Yong said the Monetary Authority of Singapore will update the designated investment list covered by the family-office tax exemption framework, although no implementation timetable or detailed changes have yet been announced. Spe

Asia-Pacific family office returns are outperforming global peers, with more than a quarter reporting portfolio gains above 15% through mid-2026, according to Citi Wealth’s annual survey. The research covered 351 family offices across 41 countries and found around 22% of Asia-Pacific respondents targeted annual returns above 15%, nearly twice the global proportion. Direct investing is particularly prominent in the region, with 79% of respondents participating in direct invest

Asian family office succession planning is failing to keep pace with anticipated intergenerational wealth transfers, according to research from the Wealth Management Institute. Its study of 146 family offices found that 71% plan to transfer wealth to future generations, but only 49% believe their successors are prepared to engage effectively with the family office. Cross-generational involvement appears to make a substantial difference. Family offices where different generati

Singapore next-generation wealth hub credentials have been strengthened after the city-state ranked first in Asia-Pacific and sixth globally in Savills’ Next Generation Wealth Hubs Index. The index assesses more than 100 wealth centres across business, governance and connectivity, wealth management and taxation, wealth clusters and lifestyle. Singapore led six Asia-Pacific cities that placed among the global top 30. Savills said investment patterns among wealthy people under

North American family offices are raising investment expectations following strong 2025 performance while simultaneously preparing for generational wealth transfers, new wealth creation and rapid technology adoption, according to RBC and Campden Wealth. Their 2026 report, based on 155 family offices, found 84% expect direct private equity to match or outperform its 2025 performance. Artificial intelligence is another major focus, with 85% identifying AI as a leading investmen

The Carlyle family office business is expanding with two senior appointments as the US private equity manager targets ultra-high-net-worth families as an increasingly important source of investment capital. David Seeberan has joined Carlyle as a partner and global head of the family office group, while Victoria Matthews has been appointed managing director and head of the business for Europe and Asia. San Francisco-based Seeberan previously worked at Cercano Management. Matth

A Singapore family office multi-strategy model is being developed by former Goldman Sachs and Vitol commodities trader Kelvin Chiu as he seeks to attract independent investment teams overlooked by larger hedge funds. Chiu’s SilverCape Investments now operates six trading pods alongside his own commodities strategy. They include a Japanese activist investing team that managed more than USD200m at the end of August. Chiu said his commodities strategy has generated a 78% compoun

Family office cybersecurity has emerged as the leading operational concern for wealthy families even as they remain optimistic about investment returns, according to a 2026 report from RBC Wealth Management and Campden Wealth. The survey of 155 single- and multi-family offices, representing average wealth of USD2.25bn, found 56% ranked cybersecurity and data breaches as their biggest near-term risk, up sharply from 16% a year earlier. Half reported experiencing phishing attem

China wealthy individuals tax enforcement is intensifying, with authorities establishing specialist teams to track and collect liabilities from some of the country’s richest people, Bloomberg reported. The teams reportedly include government officials, inspection specialists and regulators, with some assigned to individual billionaires. The initiative is intended to strengthen authorities’ ability to examine sophisticated financial structures established with assistance from

APAC family office returns are outperforming global peers, with 26% reporting year-to-date investment gains above 15%, double the worldwide proportion, according to Citi Wealth. Citi’s 2026 Global Family Office Report also found that 22% of Asia-Pacific family offices target annual returns exceeding 15%, almost twice the global average. Asia-Pacific family offices were particularly bullish on artificial intelligence. Some 80% identified AI as a primary sector for direct inves

ASEAN next-generation wealth clients are increasingly choosing financial institutions independently of their parents, creating a challenge for private banks seeking to retain assets through intergenerational wealth transfers. A WealthSummit study of 1,049 clients across Southeast Asia found that 71% had their main banking relationship with a different institution from their parents. Some 68% maintained relationships with at least three banks, reflecting demand for investment

Bank of Singapore donor-advised funds are being offered through a new philanthropic platform designed to give wealthy families greater flexibility over how assets supporting charitable giving are invested. The OCBC private banking arm’s Legacy of Giving platform allows clients to shape the investment approach applied to their philanthropic capital, potentially increasing the assets available for future charitable grants. The model differs from many donor-advised fund arrangem

EMEA family offices China investment plans are strengthening, with China emerging as the leading market where ultra-wealthy families in Europe, the Middle East and Africa intend to increase exposure, according to Citi. Citi’s 2026 Global Family Office Report found that 29% of EMEA respondents planned to increase investments in China. The rest of Asia-Pacific followed at 26%, with North America at 25%. The report surveyed 351 family offices across more than 40 countries. Conce

HSBC Asia family wealth advisory capabilities are being strengthened with the appointment of former UBS executive Francesca Chan as regional head of family and philanthropy advisory for Asia-Pacific. Chan will take up the Hong Kong-based position on Sept. 29 and report to Ann Ling, regional head of wealth planning and advisory. She will lead teams advising ultra-high-net-worth clients on succession planning, family office establishment, family governance and philanthropy. Cha

Hong Kong family business succession services are becoming a greater focus as the city seeks a larger role in Asia’s generational transfer of family wealth and cross-border assets. Financial Services Undersecretary Joseph Chan said Hong Kong’s legal system, capital mobility, low-tax regime and links with mainland China provide a strong base for wealthy families managing global portfolios. At a South China Morning Post conference, speakers said younger family members are incre

Deutsche Bank Hong Kong wealth business is recording strong growth as increasing Chinese client activity makes the city the private bank’s best-performing emerging-market region this year. Marco Pagliara, head of emerging markets at Deutsche Bank Private Bank, said activity had increased across trading, lending against physical assets and real estate. Chinese clients have been particularly active in trophy property transactions, reflecting broader demand for investment and fi