When I spoke about structures like family offices more than twenty years ago, some people would lean forward, eyes wide as if I had just revealed a secret passage behind the bookshelf. Back then, it was niche, unfamiliar, and genuinely intriguing in this part of the world.
Fast forward to today, and the tables have turned. Not long ago, someone from Singapore asked me whether I “knew anything” about family offices. The interesting part? I had to pause for a moment. After years of working with some people in that world, I suddenly found myself being gently quizzed on whether I understood the concept at all.
It reminded me of another encounter sometime last year, when someone enthusiastically tried to lecture me on the differences between various hedge fund strategies. I listened politely, nodded along, and learned once again, how explanations can be delivered even to those who have spent a good part of their careers inside that very space.
These days, it seems everyone has a family office label neatly pinned to their lapel. Single-family, multi-family, virtual, quasi, pre-family-office and apparently, we are all “experts” now. The term has become so fashionable that having a network, a pitch deck, and a WhatsApp broadcast list almost qualifies.
Some clearly do thoughtful and serious work. Others appear to have earned the title by proximity rather than practice. It is less a criticism than an observation of how popular the idea has become.
I do not mind the trend because it shows how far the concept has travelled. However, I do miss the earlier days, when “family office” sparked curiosity rather than competition, and conversations began with learning instead of labels.