EXPOSED - 3 Secrets about Generational wealthy Families

What allows some families to keep their wealth for generations? Stefan Neuss, founder of WERA Capital Partners, names three principles that such families pass from one generation to the next: ownership, silence and kindness.

Families with old money understand ownership differently. They control everything but hold almost nothing in their personal name. Neuss explains why: if a house is in your name and you have tax or other liabilities, third parties can take it. What is not in your name is far harder to take away.

These families also avoid loans. Cars and other assets are bought outright through their companies and held within their structure.

Generational wealth prefers privacy. "Money loves silence," Neuss says. Truly wealthy people wear the finest materials, but rarely visible logos. Even the neighbourhoods where they live are quiet: you hear birds and trees, not noise.

The third principle surprises many people. Neuss has met people worth eight, nine and even ten figures, and he describes them as among the kindest and most polite people he knows. They treat a waiter, a flight attendant or a shop assistant with the same respect as anyone else.

Showing off, being loud or rude, is in his experience a sign of new money that still feels it has something to prove. Families who have been wealthy for generations do not need to prove anything. They know their values and what they stand for.

Ownership through well-planned structures, discretion and respect for others: according to Neuss, any business owner can adopt these principles. WERA Capital Partners helps owners design the structures behind the first of them. Book a 15-minute private consultation.