Gold Diggers, Power Plays & Prenups

NEWSLETTER

Family office insights this week:

• How family offices help UHNWIs protect wealth

• UHNW dating: the do’s and don’ts

• A podcast on capital allocation

• Best series on luxury, satire and intrigue returns

• Family office M&A activity

Gold Diggers, Power Plays & Prenups

Love is in the air. Valentine’s Day is here. So let’s talk about gold diggers, prenups and divorce!

But first dating…

On the face of it, dating for the wealthy seems easy. Money opens doors, money attracts people. But the reality? It’s a minefield.

Money attracts gold diggers, lawsuits, and long-term financial headaches.

Get relationships right, and you build a deep, meaningful partnership with someone who understands your world. But get relationships wrong, and you risk financial disaster, public embarrassment, and a very expensive lesson in human nature.

🚨 The Risks: gold diggers, power imbalances, privacy concerns

Where there’s money, there are people looking to take advantage.

It can be incredibly difficult if you are wealthy to distinguish genuine relationships.

We’ve all seen stories of gold diggers... the model marrying the aging millionaire, the toy boy marrying a widow.

When 26 year-old Anna Nicole Smith married 89-year-old billionaire J. Howard Marshall, some cynical voices questioned whether it was really true love.

A major wealth gap also creates an inherent power imbalance, which, if not addressed early, can lead to control issues, resentment, and even legal disputes.

Romance can easily become courtroom drama if expectations aren’t clearly defined from the outset.

Relationships can also give rise to privacy concerns. UHNWIs should always be mindful of their digital footprint. In this ultra-connected world, security specialists advise wealthy clients to watch what they share. Dating someone without the same security concerns could expose assets and locations, resulting in criminal targeting.

And what happens when relationships turn sour?

Broken relationships can eviscerate wealth.

Rod Stewart once said "Instead of getting married again, I’m just going to find a woman I don’t like and give her half my money."

So how do family offices help wealthy families mitigate against the risks of relationships failing?

Read the full article here.

𝕏 highlights

This one got people talking.

A look at family office M&A investing.

Incredible growth forecasts.

 💼 where to work

Three notable family office job opportunities currently open…

Chief of Staff - Private Family Office (Miami / Single Family Office)

Senior Human Resources Business Partner - Dalio Family Office (Westport / Single Family Office) 

Family Office Accountant - PermCap (New York / Multi-Family Office)

📚 what to read

How about a classic this week? The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald is the ultimate tale of love and wealth, following Jay Gatsby’s obsession with rekindling a romance with Daisy Buchanan amid the decadence of the Roaring Twenties.

📻 what to listen to

In Capital Allocators, allocator and asset management expert Ted Seides interviews leaders in the institutional investment industry. CIOs discuss their strategies, outlook and systems. Well worth a listen.

📺 what to watch

The White Lotus returns on Sunday. The first seasons were so good, I’m going to recommend season 3 before I’ve seen it. Wealthy guests with secrets. White Lotus is a dark satire set in opulent surroundings of Four Seasons hotels. Season 1 was in Hawaii, season 2 moved to Sicily and season 3 is in Thailand. Looking forward to this!

And finally…

🍾 Self-congratulatory moment… 45,000 people are now following along on X.

With that many people following, it’s a useful reminder:

I.Must.Not.Drink.And.Tweet.

Thanks for joining the fun! Next week it’s a look at a fascinating topic for family offices: expert generalists.

Monday’s Family Office Buzz had a new section: Living Large. A look at the finer things in life. This week it was a look at new status symbols for the 1%, a 5-star golden train and DC’s luxury home market is exploding. Have a read here if you missed it.

Until next week, see you on 𝕏 or LinkedIn.

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