Multi-year research, interviewing and analyzing 200 ultra-high-net-worth families across five continents, has shown how family social capital is important to enhance collective family action to preserve wealth.
Abstract
The global impact of enterprise families is enormous and many fail to maintain collective prosperity for several generations. Multi-year qualitative and quantitative research, interviewing and analyzing 200 ultra-high-net-worth enterprise families across five continents, has shown how family social capital is important to enhance collective family action to preserve wealth. Family philanthropy contributes to strengthening enterprise family cohesion. Decision making becomes easier and collective willpower becomes stronger. In general, philanthropists put their focus on improving the lives of others. Research shows that philanthropists’ motivation is rarely driven solely by altruism. In fact, philanthropy is about converting excess economic capital into other forms of capital: philanthropic, symbolic, cultural, and family social capital.
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