Wealth in a World of Change
A guide for wealth owners
The world is changing faster and more fundamentally than at any time in history. Therefore, we need to change the way wealth is managed and created.
We have compiled this collection of thoughts and principles as our vision of how to navigate wealth in these unprecedented times. We hope it proves a useful guide.
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Know an opportunity from a threat and a threat from an opportunity
In a world of change the difference Today’s winners are perpetual between good and bad is often learners: People who can nothing more than a hair’s breadth. identify the latest threats and opportunities because they The challenge we all face is to always have the right knowledge consistently navigate on the at the right time. right side of change. This is something we can only do by first becoming intimate with the subject of change itself.
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Be prepared to step back in order to move forward
In a world of change, legislation and regulation are in constant flux. What was common practice yesterday is being questioned today and outlawed tomorrow.
In this environment playing by the rules is vital. Accepting, rather than avoiding, taxation, for example, could be a small price to pay for the preservation of your wealth.
The privileges of wealth are under more scrutiny than ever before.
Sometimes, long term success means a little short term strife.
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To be good or not to be good that is no longer the question
The world of change is a world of increasing transparency, accountability and social & environmental consciousness.
supplies, social order, health and education, both for those around us, and the generations after us.
The result is a climate in which doing the right thing with wealth is no longer just a positive gesture, it’s a pre-requisite to success.
We are more aware than ever of the heightened effect our actions and investments will have on employment, food and clean water
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Make all your assets work together It takes an holistic view and good instincts to spot the opportunities that a world of change presents, but it takes a single minded approach to seize them.
Those who focus all their assets and abilities on the pursuit of a greater goal will improve their influence, and increase their rewards.
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Talk to people at the same altitude In a world of change, ideas, businesses and entire industries are moving forward not by incremental steps, but by giant leaps.
Success lies in fresh thinking from those with radical and ambitious minds; the real movers and shakers with natural leadership qualities. So don’t get lonely at the top; gather together with the best there are.
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There’s no genius like group genius Creative collaboration gives us the power to generate ideas that none of us would have been capable of on our own.
In a world of change, ground breaking thoughts will form the future of wealth. These new concepts will not come from traditional thinking, but from bringing together strong minds with diverse skills and an appetite for radical ideas.
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Welcome to the time of the hands-on investor A world of change is a world of opportunities; a climate where great ideas go viral, and where successful new businesses can emerge faster than ever before.
The climate is right for exciting investments. There are more entrepreneurs with more great ideas, and in our connected world they are more accessible than ever.
Those who get involved will get the most out of change: the wealth owners who support new ventures by investing not just their money, but their business acumen, experience and contacts.
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The further you look the closer things get In the changing world everything is interconnected. A change in the fortunes of one region can affect all of us, wherever we are in the world.
We cannot navigate global change with a local mentality, or achieve great things with a narrow mind.
So look north, south, east and west and always take in the bigger picture. It’s a wide angle that brings great ideas into focus.
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Stakeholder value is the new shareholder value Strong leaders understand that, in a world of change, money isn’t everything. To sustain company value, they take care of all their stakeholders from staff; to partners, to the communities in which they operate.
The successful will be those who focus not only on their annual balance sheet, but who also take into account the values of the many different kinds of people that their business affects.
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Failure to act will result in failure In a world of change, the future of wealth lies in new prospects, but they can disappear as quickly as they had arisen. Failure to act will only result in failure.
In this environment, taking opportunities means making fast, accurate decisions. It’s those with the autonomy, the flexibility and the pragmatism to put plans into action who will prosper.
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Align your wealth partners From insurance to investments to trusts and lifestyle services, there are many people we can turn to for help in navigating a world of change.
However, the most successful wealth owners will be those who not only have the best wealth professionals on their side, but also the ability to harmonise them in pursuit of their values and ambitions.
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Sometimes self-reflection is better together In a changing world, we need to be flexible in our strategies, but certain of our objectives.
When you want to use your wealth to realise your ambitions, live your values and achieve great personal satisfaction, a strong relationship with a wealth partner that can appreciate life goals as well as financial goals can help.
After all, sometimes it takes someone who knows you intimately to help you work out what really matters to you, and make it happen.
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In a wired world plug in In a world of change, the internet is changing everything. It is empowering new leaders, spreading new ideas, and connecting individuals that could never have connected before.
Crowdsourcing is enabling people to meet and create virtually, and to collaborate in ways that have proven more powerful than powerful rulers themselves.
In a connected world, the ideas, the individuals and the influence you need are all at your fingertips. The more connected you are, the more successful you can be.
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We are dependent on our independence In a world of change, the best advice comes from those who are truly independent and not guided by a hidden agenda or conflicting interests.
After all, when it comes to wealth preservation and creation, we rely on our ability to challenge conventions, to alter our behaviour, and to stay open minded.
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Find privacy in a world of transparency In a world of change the right to privacy is rapidly losing ground to the demand for transparency. Governments, businesses and social media platforms are collecting and connecting private data, and notions like tax confidentiality and bank secrecy are becoming outdated.
This climate is causing discomfort for many of the world’s wealthy, but those who understand what drives transparency will be better placed to preserve their privacy.
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Some build windmills others build walls So, the world is transforming faster and more fundamentally than at any time in history.
In this guide we have touched upon many different ways to navigate change, but what unites them all is the attitude they take.
In a world of change, some will defend conventions or decide to ‘wait and see’. It’s our belief that these individuals and institutions will be left behind.
It’s those with a positive attitude, and the bravery to put ideas into action, who will find opportunity in times of uncertainty. As the proverb goes, ‘When the wind of change blows, some build windmills whilst others build walls.’
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About the authors We are Kaiser Partner, an award winning wealth management company and private bank whose mission is to help affluent families, entrepreneurs and investors to not just preserve, but create wealth in an unpredictable and fast changing world. This document reflects our principles, and captures the thinking that guided us in the creation of our suite of services:
Trusts We have been managing trusts for families around the world since 1931, and many of our current clients enjoy relationships with us that were first established by their grandfathers. The secret to this longevity of service is the intimacy we create with our clients.
The Wealth Table The Wealth Table gathers together a range of best-of-breed partners, and in combination with our suite of services, it ensures that our clients can align all of their wealth needs through one trusted wealth partner.
Relationship management Managing wealth today is a complex, multi-disciplinary task, requiring experts with many different talents. We assign specialist family office teams to meet specific families’ needs, be it in administration, investment strategy, risk monitoring and reporting, or special lifestyle services.
The Dream Factory We have relationships with many entrepreneurs, investors and thought leaders, and are able to not only bring together influential people and exciting new ideas, but also to facilitate their co-creation of wealth.
Asset management Our investment strategies are geared to create the highest returns with the most positive impact. For us, navigating on the right side of change means striving for sustainable wealth creation in a fast moving environment.
The Private Wealth Council We facilitate a forum in which responsible wealth owners and thought leaders meet and exchange ideas, in order to improve our understanding of how the changing world will affect substantial family wealth in the long run.
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Kaiser Partner Pflugstrasse 10–12, 9490 Vaduz, Liechtenstein
Zollikerstrasse 60, 8702 Zollikon (Zurich), Switzerland www.kaiserpartner.com