One in three family offices cite founders’ reluctance to cede control as the main reason for delaying wealth transfers, a research paper shows. It adds to a chorus of commentary about how well prepared, or not, owners/founders are for such a change.

Many family offices that aim to preserve wealth across several generations lack the succession arrangements, risk controls and operational systems to do so, according to research commissioned by Singapore-listed DBS.

The DBS Asian Family Office Almanac 2026: Assessing the Risk Readiness Gap found that 79 per cent of families want to pass wealth to at least two generations, and 29 per cent beyond three generations or in perpetuity. Yet 43 per cent said the next generation has no involvement in wealth planning. In just 1 per cent of cases is the next generation leading the plan’s design and implementation.

The report draws on views from 200 family offices across Asia, Europe and the Middle East, conducted between January and May 2026. 

The 66-page report argued that there is no need for a binary choice between succession planning and loss of control. 

"Importantly, retaining control and planning for succession are not mutually exclusive. Founders can continue to lead while progressively involving the next generation in strategic discussions, governance and the principles that underpin family decision-making. Indeed, the desire to retain control is precisely why these conversations should begin early," it said.

Deferrals
Transfers are also being deferred. Only 4 per cent expect a meaningful wealth transfer within three years, while 29 per cent expect it to take more than seven. One in three cited the founder’s wish to stay in control as the main reason for delay. A further 15 per cent expect a transfer only when an event such as the founder’s incapacity or a crisis forces it.

Ownership structures remain largely personal. Some 54 per cent hold key assets in their own name and 52 per cent use personal investment companies, against 20 per cent using a professionally administered trust. With heirs increasingly living across borders, 55 per cent are unsure which ownership structures to adopt.

On risk, more than 85 per cent have no formal business continuity plan, rely on informal arrangements or do not know whether a plan exists. Some 38 per cent have yet to address cybersecurity and data privacy risk, but only 3 per cent have or plan to obtain cyber insurance. Nearly a quarter have not addressed key person risk, while 9 per cent hold key person insurance. Lack of in-house expertise (56 per cent) and limited resources (48 per cent) were the most common reasons for leaving risks unaddressed.

Technology adoption shows a similar gap. Six in 10 respondents said learning to adopt artificial intelligence effectively is their main objective, yet 47 per cent do not use digital tools or AI in daily operations.

The research draws on two surveys of more than 200 family offices across Asia, Europe and the Middle East, conducted between January and May 2026, plus interviews with founders, principals and next-generation family members.

“The families best placed to protect and grow their wealth will not necessarily be those with the most assets, but those who address these issues early, while they still have time and ample choices," Lee Woon Shiu, group head of wealth planning, family office and insurance solutions at DBS Bank, said.

The cross-border dimension
Unsurprisingly for a bank headquartered in a major wealth hub such as Singapore, the report touched on cross-border topics.

"While family offices across Asia are financially sophisticated, the architecture of their assets has not evolved to match the reality of successive generations living overseas," the report said. 

"Despite multinational exposures, many family offices maintain financial and legal structures designed for the home jurisdiction’s regulatory regime, where the first generation is typically based and the wealth originated. But the next generation often studies, works, settles, and has children abroad, where varying and evolving regulatory regimes complicate estate planning," it continued. "Despite these modern realities, 54 per cent of participants say their structures include direct holdings of family assets, with 52 per cent using personal investment companies. Only 20 per cent have professionally administered trusts. 

"These individual holdings do not easily lend themselves to transfers that span multiple jurisdictions. The cost of leaving this unaddressed is concrete: 23 per cent already cite cross-border taxation on assets as a barrier to wealth transfer and 21 per cent specifically cite tax implications for family members across multiple jurisdictions," it added.

A rising chorus
The report adds to a crowded field of wealth transfer research from banks, wealth managers and advisors seeking to win the business of heirs. UBS estimates that $83 trillion in private wealth will change hands over the next two to three decades, and its inaugural Global Next Generation Report found that more than 40 per cent of Asia-Pacific multi-generational families are already transferring wealth or actively planning with their advisor.ber, Last November, UOB Private Bank, Boston Consulting Group and National University of Singapore Business School forecast that Asia’s private wealth would reach $99 trillion by 2029, with more than 60 per cent of the region’s high net worth individuals aged at least 60. 

The gaps are not confined to Asia. The 2026 North America Family Office Report from RBC and Campden Wealth found that half of family offices have an incomplete or non-existent succession plan.