Family Office Evolution: Regulation and Sophistication Fuel Bold Investing

Family offices worldwide are demonstrating a sharper edge in investment strategy. According to new global research by the CEOWORLD magazine, a leading provider of services to high-net-worth individuals and family offices, increasing sophistication is pushing firms to take on more risk and expand exposure to alternative assets.

A Shift in Mindset: More Sophistication, More Risk

More than three in four respondents (76%) said greater sophistication is enabling family offices to execute more complex deals, supported by enhanced operational infrastructure. This, in turn, is driving confidence. Two-thirds (66%) expect their organisation’s risk appetite to rise over the next 12 months, while just 7% anticipate a decline. The remainder (27%) foresee no change.

Investment priorities reflect this appetite: European equities, emerging-market equities, and private equity are the leading asset classes where allocations are expected to increase.

Alternatives Move Center Stage

The report highlights a long-term shift toward alternative assets. Every respondent agreed that alternatives will continue to play a growing role in family office portfolios.

• 65% said UK-based family offices are leading in alternatives exposure.
• 54% pointed to the Middle East.
• 48% highlighted the European Union.
• 31% cited Africa.
• Just 24% pointed to the Americas.

This tilt underscores both the global nature of alternative investing and regional variation in appetite.

Regulation as a Driver, Not a Brake

Interestingly, regulation emerged as the top driver of greater risk-taking.

• 73% of respondents cited improved regulation around riskier and more specialist asset classes as the primary reason for increasing risk appetites.
• 60% said greater transparency in markets is also encouraging more ambitious allocations.

Yet capacity to meet regulatory demands remains uneven. Only 16% of family offices describe themselves as in a strong position to handle rising regulatory complexity, while a majority (56%) say they are “quite strong.” More than a quarter (27%) admit their current readiness is only “average.”

A Global Perspective

The study drew on insights from family members, senior family office executives, and intermediaries across 13 countries and territories including the UK, UAE, Singapore, Switzerland, Hong Kong, South Africa, Saudi Arabia, Mauritius, and Bahrain. Together, the survey group represented total wealth of $68.26 billion.

Outlook: A More Sophisticated, More Risk-Tolerant Era

For family offices, growing sophistication is reshaping the wealth management playbook. With improved regulation, stronger infrastructure, and rising global ambition, the family office model is evolving from a conservative custodian of wealth into an active allocator across equities, alternatives, and private markets.

The challenge ahead? Ensuring operational and regulatory frameworks keep pace with bold investment ambitions.

Have you read?
The Citizenship by Investment (CBI) Index evaluates the performance of the 11 nations currently offering operational Citizenship By Investment (CBI) programs: St Kitts and Nevis (Saint Kitts and Nevis), Dominica, Grenada, Saint Lucia (St. Lucia), Antigua & Barbuda, Nauru, Vanuatu, Türkiye (Turkey), São Tomé and Príncipe, Jordan, and Egypt.