Ultra-high-net-worth families are increasingly measuring wealth by freedom, continuity and legacy rather than investment returns alone, according to Nour Private Wealth, which released findings Thursday highlighting the pressures facing multigenerational family offices.
The Toronto-based firm said approximately 60 percent of family offices expect a leadership transition within the next decade. Of those that make it through, only about 30 percent of family businesses survive to a second generation, and fewer than 10 percent reach a third generation, it noted.
"The families we work with rarely define success by returns alone," Elie Nour, founder and CEO of Nour Private Wealth, said in a statement. "Their focus is on preserving opportunity, strengthening family governance, and ensuring the values that created their wealth continue to guide future generations. Our role is to help bring those priorities together within a coordinated long-term strategy."
According to the firm, the questions driving conversations with ultra-high-net-worth clients have shifted accordingly. Key concerns include whether a plan protects what has been built, whether it reflects family values, and whether it will serve children and grandchildren as effectively as it serves the current generation.
To address those objectives, Nour Private Wealth outlined a range of structural and tax-oriented tools commonly used in family-office planning. These include multi-jurisdictional trust structures designed to preserve capital, set conditions for wealth transfer and protect beneficiaries; tax strategies such as spousal rollovers, capital gains deferral and strategic use of credit facilities; and corporate estate freezes alongside family holding companies.
The firm also pointed to the use of strategic borrowing and credit solutions to fund life insurance, support liquidity planning and facilitate wealth transfers. Additional instruments cited include powers of attorney, formal succession roadmaps, appointed trustees, family charters and family councils.
Charitable foundations integrated with investment strategy — described as philanthropic planning — and discretionary portfolio management across public and private markets were also listed as part of the family-office toolkit. Multi-family office solutions were highlighted as an option for smaller families seeking shared infrastructure and governance expertise.
Nour Private Wealth operates as a trade name of Nour Private Wealth Inc., a firm regulated by the Canadian Investment Regulatory Organization (CIRO) and covered by the Canadian Investor Protection Fund. Its affiliate Goodwood provides investment fund management services under common ownership.
The release was issued via FinanceWire on September 17, 2026.
