forbes.com
Global Family Offices' Investment Strategies in 2025
Goldman Sachs' survey of 245 global family offices reveals a measured investment approach in 2025, prioritizing risk mitigation alongside strategic allocations to technology, infrastructure, and private credit.
- What are the top three risks cited by family offices, and how are they responding to these risks?
- Geopolitical conflict (61%), political instability (39%), and recession (38%) are the top concerns. Family offices are increasing gold allocations (24% of respondents) as a hedge against tail risk, reflecting a broader trend towards hard assets.
- Which sectors are attracting increased investment from family offices, and what drives this interest?
- Family offices are boosting allocations to public equities, particularly in AI (86% have AI investments), driven by the technology's transformative potential. Private credit and infrastructure are also gaining favor due to interest rate stabilization and long-term, stable returns.
- What is the outlook for private equity and cash holdings among family offices, and what broader trends do these reflect?
- While overall private equity allocations dipped slightly, 39% plan to increase exposure, leveraging secondary markets for liquidity. Despite holding significant cash (12%), 34% aim to reduce holdings, indicating a readiness to deploy capital in promising opportunities, demonstrating agility and a long-term perspective.
Cognitive Concepts
Framing Bias
The article presents a largely positive view of the investment strategies of wealthy families, framing their actions as measured and strategic responses to global uncertainty. The framing emphasizes their agility and long-term perspective, potentially downplaying potential negative consequences of their investment choices. For example, the focus on the increase in gold allocation as a "hedge" against geopolitical risk presents this action positively, without explicitly discussing the potential downsides of such a strategy. Similarly, the description of private equity as "evolving, not retreating" offers a favorable interpretation of data that could be viewed differently.
Language Bias
The language used is generally positive and admiring towards the wealthy families and their investment strategies. Terms like "measured offense," "strategic mindset," "first movers," and "quiet clarity" paint a picture of sophistication and success. However, the description of the family offices as "stewards of legacy and frontier investors" could be considered subtly loaded, implying a positive societal role that might not be universally accepted.
Bias by Omission
The article focuses heavily on the perspectives and strategies of wealthy families, largely omitting the perspectives of those less financially privileged. The potential impact of these investment strategies on broader societal issues, such as economic inequality or environmental sustainability, is not discussed. Also, there is no mention of potential regulatory risks or challenges associated with the strategies mentioned.
False Dichotomy
The article presents a somewhat simplistic view of the investment landscape, suggesting a clear dichotomy between cautious risk management and decisive investment in specific sectors. It overlooks the complexities and potential risks involved in each investment strategy, such as the challenges of liquidity in private equity or the volatility of technology stocks.
Gender Bias
The article does not contain overt gender bias. The focus is on investment strategies and there is no explicit mention of gender in relation to those strategies. However, due to the focus on global financial elites and the lack of diversity in the subjects discussed, this could be considered an implicit bias.
Sustainable Development Goals
The article focuses on investment strategies of wealthy families, highlighting a widening gap between the ultra-rich and the rest of the population. Their focus on preserving wealth and capital appreciation in times of geopolitical uncertainty indirectly exacerbates existing inequalities. Increased investment in sectors like technology and private credit might not benefit everyone equally, potentially leading to further economic disparities.