February 3, 2026
SINGAPORE – Asia Pacific’s richest families are grappling with the balancing act of growing their wealth while protecting it, even as they are enticed by artificial intelligence as the next growth catalyst.
A new survey report of 60 leading family offices released on Feb 3 paints a picture of the region’s richest clans at a critical inflection point as the next few years will see the greatest transfer of wealth from founders to the younger generation. But many are ill-prepared, the report said.
Families are grappling with a shift from growth to wealth protection, while at the same time being intrigued, albeit hesitant, about the transformative power of AI.
According to the inaugural Schroders Wealth Management Asia Pacific Family Office Survey, 70 per cent of families hold regular meetings to discuss wealth transfer, but only 30 per cent have translated these conversations into comprehensive, documented legacy plans.
This gap between intention and execution is even more pronounced when it comes to the critical issue of succession. The figure drops to 23 per cent.
This highlights the need to turn intent into action and dialogue into governance, said Ms Clare Anderson, global head of family office service at Schroders Wealth Management.
On the surface, Asia’s family offices look well-organised and diverse. About 75 per cent of respondents run single family offices, while the rest use multi-family or hybrid structures.
Seventy-five per cent of them were set up from 2010 onwards, reflecting the rapid creation of new fortunes, and 22 per cent oversee over US$1 billion (S$1.3 billion) in assets.
The first and second generations still dominate decision-making, but third and even fourth-generation heirs are increasingly present at the table.
Yet for all this sophistication, the basic question of who gets what, and who is in charge when the patriarch or matriarch steps back is often unresolved. While 77 per cent of the respondents use trusts and 67 per cent have wills, these tools sit in isolation rather than as part of a coherent strategy.
“A true legacy plan is the architectural blueprint that integrates these tools into a cohesive structure – one that governs not just asset distribution, but also leadership transition, value preservation, and future family governance,” the report said.
Private equity is the preferred growth engine
for the region’s family offices. Some 87 per cent are invested in the asset class, with an average allocation of 18.1 per cent.
More than half of the family offices plan to significantly increase their allocation to private equity over the next three years.
The appeal is clear: In a world of uncertainty, the perceived control, diversification and potential returns make private markets the vehicle of choice for achieving growth objectives.
Within their private equity holdings, family offices are almost evenly split between direct investments and fund investments.
Schroders said this reflects family offices’ sophisticated dual strategy of using direct investments to exert control and leverage their own operational expertise, while using funds to gain access to diversified opportunities and specialised managers.
At the same time, the super rich are beginning to wrap this deal-making impulse in institutional discipline. About 55 per cent of family offices now operate under a formal investment mandate or policy document, and a further 15 per cent are developing one.
When choosing partners, family offices want those who can provide clarity, sophisticated oversight, and a strategic framework to help them navigate the path forward in a complex world.
The report highlighted that 80 per cent of family offices plan to increase their investment in digital technologies and AI-powered tools over the next three to five years, driven by their potential to enhance efficiency and investment returns.
But their enthusiasm is tempered by anxiety. The single biggest brake on AI adoption is not cost or complexity, but fear: 63 per cent cited data security and privacy concerns as a key factor holding them back; 57 per cent cited implementation and maintenance costs, and 45 per cent pointed to a lack of internal understanding of AI and advanced tools.
While 57 per cent already use some form of AI-powered tool, 33 per cent admitted to limited or no serious digital use.
Rather than building large in-house tech teams, the region’s richest families want their wealth managers to act as “AI engines”.
The most prized digital capability is a consolidated, real-time dashboard of all assets, followed by AI-driven analytics on portfolios and risks, but curated and validated by humans they trust.
In effect, Asia’s super rich are willing to let the machines crunch the numbers, as long as people they know still interpret them.