Family Office News Asia

Category: Asset Management

  • BNP Paribas Bets on Asia’s Family Office Boom with Dual Wealth Hubs

    BNP Paribas Bets on Asia’s Family Office Boom with Dual Wealth Hubs

    Family offices across Asia are reshaping global wealth management practices as entrepreneurs and multigenerational families seek more sophisticated solutions for succession, governance and alternative investments, according to BNP Paribas Wealth Management.

    BNP Paribas, which operates regional hubs in Hong Kong and Singapore, is positioning its “One Bank” model to capture the region’s expanding wealth base. The bank says it is seeing rising demand from both first-generation entrepreneurs in China, who are focused on diversification and business continuity, and more established families in Hong Kong and Singapore seeking global portfolios and complex succession planning.

    “Asian families are not only writing a playbook rooted in tradition, they’re firmly establishing themselves as future global leaders in wealth stewardship,” said Lemuel Lee, head of wealth management for Hong Kong.

    According to the 2024 Asia-Pacific Family Office Report, published with Campden Wealth, Asian family offices now lead globally in structured succession planning, blending cultural heritage with international best practices. Direct private investments in sectors such as artificial intelligence, healthcare and renewable energy are gaining ground as families diversify beyond public markets.

    BNP Paribas has bolstered its capabilities with the acquisition of AXA Investment Managers, bringing total assets under management to €1.5 trillion (US$1.76 trillion). “The benefits include unparalleled access to private market opportunities, deep sector expertise, and innovative solutions that reinforce our commitment to supporting Asia’s entrepreneurial families,” Lee said.

    Arnaud Tellier, Asia Pacific CEO at BNP Paribas Wealth Management, said the bank’s dual hubs offer clients flexibility across Greater China and Southeast Asia. “Each hub offers distinct strengths, but together they provide seamless access to the region’s most important financial centres,” he said.

    With a growing client base spanning three generations, BNP Paribas is extending its services beyond investment advice to include inheritance design, corporate governance support and education for heirs. “We see Asian family offices not merely as clients but as strategic partners in shaping a more connected, resilient, forward-looking wealth ecosystem,” Lee said.

    FamilyOfficeNewsAsia.com

  • Shinhan Targets Korea’s New Wealthy with Bespoke Family Office Services

    Shinhan Targets Korea’s New Wealthy with Bespoke Family Office Services

    South Korea’s newly wealthy entrepreneurs, who have built fortunes through start-ups and cryptocurrency, are turning to Shinhan Premier Family Office for tailored asset management solutions as they seek to diversify beyond conventional investments.

    While many of the country’s older wealthy families amassed wealth through real estate or traditional businesses, a new generation of “emerging asset owners” is seeking more complex financial products, according to Shinhan Premier Family Office executives.

    “New asset owners do not simply prefer general fund products that follow market indices,” said Lee Jung-min, head of Shinhan’s Gwanghwamun Center, in an interview with local media. “They want extraordinary products that can generate additional profits through flexible management.”

    These include mezzanine instruments such as exchangeable and convertible bonds, unlisted equities, and private equity funds, which can generate steady returns regardless of broader market conditions. Shinhan’s veteran private bankers provide bespoke strategies using both quantitative analysis and market intuition, Lee said.

    Venture founders, in particular, are looking for ways to manage corporate funds efficiently rather than park them in low-yield assets, he added. To meet this demand, Shinhan is combining financing with investment solutions and, through its global network, connecting clients to overseas managers and alternative assets such as loan investments and project financing.

    Traditional wealthy families also continue to turn to the firm, favoring medium-risk products such as bonds and deposits to preserve capital, though many still use mezzanine and stock funds for stable growth.

    Shinhan said it is extending its services across generations, with first-generation owners typically prioritizing stable cash flows, their heirs pursuing private equity and overseas assets, and younger successors gravitating toward technology and global start-ups.

    “We are helping design inheritances such as transfer of shares and succession of family businesses, and supporting stabilization of corporate governance,” Lee said, adding that Shinhan works with tax accountants, lawyers and consultants to cover human, social and economic assets in its planning.

    FamilyOfficeNewsAsia.com