Family offices are how the wealthy roll

In some families, announcing "I'll be in my office" isn't a bathroom joke. More ultrawealthy folks than ever are establishing family offices -- companies solely focused on managing one family's cash.

Often with a headcount of a mom-and-pop bakery, family offices employ professional wealth managers who execute financial strategies and goals set by family members. They can also manage rich families' chores, like doing taxes, paying bills, purchasing yachts, and booking travel.

While they've been around for centuries, family offices have proliferated in recent years like Birkin bags in the Hamptons:

* The number of family offices was projected to exceed 9,000 last year, and they managed $3.1 trillion in wealth as of 2024, according to Deloitte.

* Deloitte predicts that family offices will command $5.4 trillion in assets by 2030, surpassing hedge funds.

What do they invest in? While they trade stocks and bonds just like anyone with a Robinhood account, family offices are increasingly moving into private dealmaking and hoovering up real estate. Industry experts say they're often more risk-tolerant than established investment firms and can rely on family connections to access lucrative deals.

Some are uniting...with families pooling their resources into multifamily offices to share investment tips and combine financial firepower for deals. -- SK