Succession

Most family fortunes were forged thanks to a founding entrepreneur and their successors who managed to uphold their legacy over the generations. The entrepreneurial tale of the founder is often passed down proudly from generation to generation.

However, it is also common to see the successor generations concentrate so much on the core business that they sometimes lose the very entrepreneurial drive that gave rise to their family business in the first place.

Two brothers sharing ownership in a successful fourth-generation concrete business had a bitter falling-out triggered by an unlikely issue: a sailboat. The older sibling accused his younger brother of dipping into the company till to support his racing habit.

The 2020 election did not result in the massive blue wave that many predicted, but there are definitely still blue ripples reaching shore—especially now that Democrats won both Senate seats in the Georgia runoff elections.

With the Democrats controlling the White House and now both houses of Congress, there are certainly changes in tax policy and other areas that ultra-wealthy families should expect and watch closely.

In a recent family business event, a couple of young family business owners were asking questions around their role, finding their place and their individual voice. Questions motivated by their respective positions as heirs, beneficiaries, descendants, inheritors and ‘next-in-line’.

Any one of these descriptions are representative of considerable responsibilities and accepted norms. Taken together, they represent the range and depth of the obligations, paths and expectations which together are captured in one word: successor.