Whom does it serve?
A single family office works exclusively for one family and is organized around that family's goals, values and long-term needs.
Insights
What are family offices?
- A single family office is a private organization that manages the financial and non-financial interests of one family.
- The office may be operational, strategic or a combination of both, depending on the family's needs and complexity.
- Its structure, mandate and expertise are tailored to each family; there is therefore no universal model.
What does it do?
Responsibilities may include investment management, ownership oversight, tax, legal affairs, reporting, philanthropy and succession planning.
Why is it established?
A family office gives the family a consolidated overview, continuity and a professional structure for preserving value across generations.
Core characteristics
01
Exclusivity and control
- One single family
- Unlike a multi family office (MFO), an SFO serves only one specific family.
- Full control
- The family holds 100% ownership and control over strategic decisions, investment profile and who is hired.
- Bespoke by design
- All services, processes and reporting routines are tailored to this one family's unique goals and values.
02
Holistic wealth management
- Investment strategy
- The SFO develops and executes the family's overall investment strategy (asset classes such as equities, real estate, private equity and alternative investments).
- Risk management
- Monitoring and managing risk across the entire wealth portfolio.
- Consolidated reporting
- Bringing together all financial data from different banks, managers and companies into one shared overview.
03
Multidisciplinary administration and planning
- Tax and legal advice
- In-house or closely coordinated external expertise to optimize tax structures, inheritance and generational transfers.
- Succession planning
- Educating the next generation and structuring how wealth is transferred to avoid conflict and preserve values.
- Philanthropy
- Administering the family's charitable foundations, donations and community projects.
04
Lifestyle management (concierge services)
- Day-to-day operations
- Managing private properties, yachts, private aircraft and art collections.
- Administrative tasks
- Everything from paying private bills and household staff salaries to travel planning and personal security.
05
A high degree of confidentiality
- Discretion
- Because the company operates on behalf of one family only, privacy and shielding from the public are absolutely critical.
- Security
- SFOs often invest heavily in both digital (cyber) and physical security to protect the family's members and data.