wealth inheritors Archives - Lowenhaupt & Chasnoff

Bridging The Generation Gap: What is the Wealth For?

February 25, 2016 | By Charles Lowenhuapt

Significant wealth and family dynamics are always complex, but some aspects don’t change from generation to generation—or from continent to continent.

I was reminded of that during a recent trip to Sydney. Speaking at an event with a number of wealth holders and wealth inheritors, I had numerous conversations I’ve heard repeated again and again in the U.S., Europe and Asia. They go like this: Wealth creators say their children are aimless and lack their passion and direction. Family money, they say, has made their adult children soft. They bemoan the fact that the children lack “motivation.”  For their part, adult children complain that their parents are  too controlling. The children say they are passionate about  their ideas and their future, but their overbearing parents  are unwilling to help them use a small portion of the family  fortune to change the world or fund their projects.Read More

Why Fairness Trumps Equality In Sharing The Family Wealth

By Charles Lowenhaupt

Question: When should wealth owners plan to leave unequal portions to their children?

Answer: Strange as it might seem, “almost always.”

Before dividing an estate, wealth owners need to get past the definitional ambiguity of “equal” and “unequal.” Most wealth holders define “equal” as a dollar-for-dollar split where each child gets the same amount. Yet another perspective might consider meeting needs equally, regardless of amounts. Research shows that about two-thirds of people choose dollar-for-dollar equality at death — but in our experience, most opt for equally meeting needs while they are alive.Read More