More than 25 years ago when I first spoke about family offices in this part of the world where I live and work, people would lean forward, eyes wide, as though I had just revealed a secret passage behind the bookshelf. It was niche, unfamiliar and genuinely intriguing.
Fast forward to today and things have certainly changed. Not long ago, someone from Singapore asked me whether I “knew anything” about family offices. I had to pause for a moment. After years of working with people in that world, I found myself being gently quizzed on whether I understood the concept.
It reminded me of another encounter last year. Someone went to great lengths to lecture me on the basics of different hedge fund strategies. I listened, nodded and chose to keep quiet.
There are plenty of people these days who are very eager to show what they know about family offices, hedge funds and alternative investments. I do not mind. It shows how far the concept has come.
These days, everyone seems to have a family office label somewhere. Add a pitch deck and a WhatsApp broadcast list and apparently you are almost there.
I have simply never felt the need to advertise what I know. After all, the people you have actually worked with over the years usually know. There is little point in telling everyone else.