From Investments to Legacy: How Ultra-High-Net-Worth Families Are Redefining What Matters

51% of the world's wealthiest families recognize succession as a significant risk to their family office — yet 86% still don't have a plan in place. That gap is exactly where the opportunity lies for advisors who know how to talk about it.In this episode of The Wealth Marketing Podcast, host Rosemary Denney sits down with Brian Hughes, President of Eton Advisors, to dissect the 2026 JP Morgan Global Family Office Report, a sweeping study of 333 single-family offices across 30 countries with an average net worth of $1.6 billion.Brian brings more than 30 years of experience across the family office landscape, including leadership roles at Pitcairn and Threshold Group (now AlTi Tiedemann), and shares firsthand observations on how the industry has transformed over two decades. Together, Rosemary and Brian uncover what this report really means for multi-family offices, RIAs and advisory firms that serve, or aspire to serve, ultra-high-net-worth families.Key insights:How the family office industry evolved from investment-only mandates to multi-generational, holistic models over the past 20 years65% prioritize AI investments, yet 57% have zero venture capital exposure, and 79% have no infrastructure allocation86% lack succession plans, and 51% recognize it as a significant continuity risk76% have engagement strategies in place, but 28% still cite heir unpreparedness as a top risk58% have operating businesses, and 41% cite internal conflict as a top three risk, nearly double non-business-owning peersMFOs increasingly serve SFOs by filling gaps in governance, succession and investment expertise that lean teams can't coverMost firm content focuses on markets and credentials, but families care about succession, governance, cybersecurity and family cohesion, and storytelling wins over service listingsCybersecurity (32%), family wealth education (31%), governance/succession support (27%) comprise the top service gapsKey Takeaway: This report makes clear that families are asking for more: more governance, more preparation for the next generation, more integration and more advisors who understand their complexity. The opportunity is massive for firms willing to shift their content and conversations from what they want to talk about to what families actually need to hear.Relevant Links:2026 JP Morgan Global Family Office Report: https://privatebank.jpmorgan.com/nam/en/insights/reports/2026-family-office-reportBrian Hughes on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brianjdhughes/Eton Advisors: https://etonadvisors.com/Rosemary Denney on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rosemarybdenney/Wealth Matters Consulting: https://www.wealthmattersconsulting.comThe UHNW Institute: https://www.uhnwinstitute.org