Resume af teksten:
Mere end fire ud af fem familier ejer en majoritetspost i deres driftsvirksomhed.
En betydelig andel overvejer at forlade virksomheden inden for fem år, og andelen er over halvdelen i Europa, Mellemøsten og Latinamerika.
Kun 2,3 procent af familierne, der overvejer et exit, vurderes som fuldt klar til processen.
Arve- og generationsskifte er det højest prioriterede familietema i alle undersøgte regioner.
Omkring 18,5 procent af den næste generation deltager aktivt i exitdrøftelser med samme indflydelse.
77 procent af familierne vil overveje et exit for at bevare familiens sammenhold.
Geopolitisk diversificering er den højeste globale investeringsprioritet, efterfulgt af inflationsbeskyttelse.
Efter et salg peger 79,4 procent på bevarelse af fælles familieformue som det vigtigste område.
Fra Julius Bär:
For many wealthy families, the operating business has shaped everyday life for decades, with children hearing its name around the table and some eventually taking their place within it. This year’s Family Barometer finds that it remains their most important asset across all four regions surveyed, with more than four in five families holding a majority stake in their operating company.
For many of these families, that familiar pattern may soon change. A significant share of families is considering a business exit within five years, rising to more than half in Europe, the Middle East, and Latin America. The children who grew up hearing about the company may become its owners. Alternatively, a sale may leave the family deciding what comes next.
This year’s report draws on assessments from more than 1,700 internal and external wealth management professionals across Europe, Asia, the Middle East, and Latin America. Specialist contributions explore how families prepare for an exit and adjust to life afterwards. In this article, we explore the five priorities that should surround your business transition, no matter your circumstances.
Download the Family Barometer 2026 at the bottom of this article to compare experiences across regions.
1. Business success can conceal a readiness gap
A thriving company can make an exit look straightforward. Its owners know the business is valuable, and prospective buyers may already be expressing interest. Yet advisers describe just 2.3 per cent of families considering an exit as ‘fully ready’. Another 12 per cent are ‘largely ready’, with minor gaps still to resolve.
Owners often know where to begin: the accounts can be audited and complicated ownership arrangements untangled. Preparing the family takes practice. “Many families have constitutions that sit in a drawer,” observes Hendrik Kuhl, Head Wealth Planning Advisory Germany. “But governance only does its job when it becomes part of the family’s ongoing decision-making process.”
Letting go can be particularly difficult for a founder whose place in the family is inseparable from their role in the business. Emotional attachment is the most commonly cited source of misalignment. The report examines how discussing life after an exit can help owners approach the decision with a clearer sense of their own future.
2. Succession planning needs wider participation
Succession planning ranks first among family topics in every region and across every professional role surveyed. Intergenerational wealth transfer has also gained importance, particularly in Europe and the Middle East. For families whose members and assets span several countries, a transfer may involve competing legal requirements, with decisions taken in one jurisdiction having consequences elsewhere.
Despite that shared priority, younger family members often have limited influence. In exit discussions, the next generation is generally consulted without a formal vote: only around 18.5 per cent participate actively with an equal say.
In Asia, many business-owning families are approaching their first major succession or liquidity event. “Families are confronting these questions in real time,” says Christos Anagnostopoulos, Head of Family Office Solutions/Advisory Asia. “Does the next generation want to take over? Are they prepared to do so? If not, what alternatives exist?”
3. A favourable market still needs a family decision
For years, a sale may be something the family intends to discuss eventually. Then a credible buyer approaches, and ‘eventually’ turns into a decision with a deadline. Owners who assumed they shared the same intentions may find out differently. An attractive price doesn’t resolve those differences, and the buyer might not wait.
The Family Barometer 2026 finds that external professional advisers are the leading contributor to family alignment, followed by family governance structures. Coordinated advice helps owners understand how a proposed transaction would affect their wider wealth and individual circumstances. An outside perspective can also make it easier to discuss differences that relatives have struggled to address themselves.
It helps to talk about why the family might sell while there is still no pressure to decide. The price may be important, but so is how relatives get along. According to the survey, some 77 per cent of families would consider an exit to preserve family unity. A sale may give relatives room to pursue different plans without a lasting disagreement over the business.
4. Political risk reshapes investment priorities
For families used to having much of their wealth in a single business, investing beyond it means thinking differently about risk. This year’s Family Barometer finds geopolitical diversification at the top of the global investment agenda, with inflation protection in second place. Taxation, the leading societal concern, adds another consideration for owners whose assets and family members are spread across countries.
“Capital that once served as a reserve for the business now needs to support future generations,” says Reto Hintermann, Head of Outsourced CIO at Julius Baer. The survey reflects that responsibility: capital preservation and long-term growth lead post-exit investment priorities, followed by replacing the income the company once provided.
The emphasis varies by region. Preservation comes first in Europe and Latin America, whereas those in Asia and the Middle East give greater weight to growing their wealth over the long term.
5. Life after a sale needs its own preparation
After a sale, the family still needs a way to manage its wealth together. Preserving joint family wealth is the leading area requiring attention, cited by 79.4 per cent of respondents, followed by clarifying roles and finding a new sense of purpose at 68.4 per cent. The proceeds may be substantial, but relatives can lose the routines and responsibilities that once connected them.
Almost half of respondents report only limited discussions with the next generation about post-sale strategy. “Before discussing investments,” says Maria Eugenia Mosquera, Head of Wealth Planning – Key Clients & Family Office Services, “families need to understand what decisions need to be made, and how they will make those decisions together.”
As Roman Berri, Head of Offering Management & Development, explains, “whether wealth remains pooled or is progressively allocated to individual branches depends on the family’s objectives, relationships and long-term plans.”
Download the Family Barometer 2026 for the full findings and expert perspectives on family wealth before, during, and after an exit.
Kilde: Julius Bär, https://your.juliusbaer.com/insights/c/I7Foe2B_T7yffRxrQ59VLgOXecHx7cRbqUbZ2i-z_wvQNBKei6d_QOe89zsPOBNcEw
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