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19 March 2025

Sovereign Wealth Fund Governance: A Resilience Blueprint for Wealthy Families

In the depths of the 2008 financial crisis, when once-mighty banks floundered and global markets teetered, Singapore’s GIC quietly shifted its gaze from battered real estate to emerging technology. Within a few short years, the pivot not only recouped substantial losses but positioned the fund to capture outsized gains in the post-crash recovery. It was a deft response that seemed to embody Albert Einstein’s oft-cited adage that “in the midst of every crisis, lies great opportunity” – and it underscored precisely why many are now looking to sovereign wealth funds (SWFs) for lessons in governance, adaptability, and risk management.

Today’s SWFs manage more than USD 10 trillion in combined assets, according to the Sovereign Wealth Fund Institute (SWFI, 2023), and they wield outsized influence in sectors as varied as infrastructure, biotech, and real estate. While pension funds or hedge funds may share certain aims, SWFs stand apart in their blend of government mandate, multi-generational time horizons, and sophisticated governance frameworks that weather short-term volatility. From Norway’s Government Pension Fund Global (GPFG) to Abu Dhabi’s ADIA, their proven resilience has begun to captivate a different audience: ultra-high-net-worth (UHNW) families – whether operating through sprawling family offices or handling wealth privately – who are eager to replicate the SWF model’s agility without the weight of a government apparatus.

A Worldwide Tapestry of Strategies

It would be misleading to lump all SWFs under one banner. In the Middle East, funds such as Abu Dhabi’s ADIA or Qatar’s QIA often stem from oil surpluses and seek to diversify national economies away from energy. In Asia, Singapore’s GIC and Temasek have cultivated reputations for forward-leaning investments in technology and innovation. Europe’s marquee fund, Norway’s GPFG, is the standard-bearer for transparency and ethics, divesting from companies involved in severe environmental or human rights violations. 

For wealthy families, these variations are anything but trivial. Studying them reveals how distinct regulatory contexts and cultural norms can influence portfolio strategies – an insight worth exploring by those who manage inheritances, closely held businesses, or philanthropic ventures across multiple regions. Indeed, some well-known family offices – including Cascade Investment (linked to Bill Gates) and others – have openly acknowledged drawing on the multi-generational governance style of top-tier SWFs to shape their own investment philosophies (Financial Times, 2015).

The Underestimated Tech Edge

Not long ago, many viewed SWFs as lumbering giants, locked into conservative real estate and bond holdings. That perception has changed markedly over the past decade. Driven by competition and a recognition that digital innovation is crucial for gaining an informational edge, major funds – from Singapore’s GIC to Kuwait’s Investment Authority – have adopted sophisticated analytics, automated risk modeling, and real-time performance dashboards (World Economic Forum, 2023).

In practical terms, this tech transformation can translate into tangible outperformance. Norway’s GPFG has recorded average annual returns of roughly 5–6 percent since its inception in the late 1990s, while GIC has registered a 20-year annualized real rate of return of 4.3 percent (Government Pension Fund Global Annual Report 2022). Though macroeconomic forces always play a role, many analysts argue that data-centric oversight helps these funds pivot away from overexposure or jump quickly on undervalued assets – a dynamic equally relevant to wealthy families aiming to fortify their holdings against surprises.

Risk Management Beyond Spreadsheets

The 2020 global pandemic was a stress test for any institution that ventures beyond government bonds. SWFs like GIC and the Kuwait Investment Authority responded by ramping up positions in stable sectors such as healthcare, then selectively pouncing on undervalued equities once markets wobbled (IMF Working Paper, 2021). The contrast between that proactive posture and a more static, paper-driven approach could not be clearer.

Private wealth holders – particularly those juggling investments in public equities, private companies, property, or even art collections – face a similar imperative. According to Deloitte, next-generation “wealthtech” platforms now enable families to run near-instant liquidity checks, stress tests, and worst-case scenario simulations. Rather than discovering a glaring risk gap after the fact, they can reallocate or rebalance swiftly. The outcome is a family version of the SWF’s crisis playbook: pivot as needed, capitalize on downturns, and avoid calamities that come from slow, reactive decision-making.

Ethical Governance

Another distinguishing hallmark of many SWFs, though often underplayed, is the emphasis on social responsibility and transparency. Norway’s GPFG meticulously screens out companies suspected of environmental degradation or human rights infractions; Temasek in Singapore places ESG factors at the core of its due diligence. For UHNW families, where reputations can be easily tarnished and philanthropic goals run deep, these models of ethical governance resonate.

As Ian Keates, CEO of Altoo – a digital wealth platform designed to provide a comprehensive view of complex family assets – observes, “Technology becomes the conduit that makes high-level governance both streamlined and transparent. When real-time  metrics sit alongside financial performance, you can act swiftly to uphold family values without sacrificing returns.” In the private sphere, many families find that this transparency improves trust among heirs and creates clearer communication channels across generations.

Emulating SWFs Without the Bureaucracy

In seeking to replicate SWF best practices, family leaders often worry about unwieldy committees or legal entanglements. Yet successful governance can be fluid if anchored by a few guiding principles: a clearly stated mandate, a robust system of risk monitoring, a commitment to transparent oversight, and enough liquidity to seize opportunities. Even families without a formal office can adopt these fundamentals.

A handful of globally recognized family offices have pointed to SWF frameworks as their inspiration for pivoting into more transparent and diversified investments (KPMG, SWF´s Riders through the storm, 2014). Some credit a disciplined adherence to scenario testing – routinely employed by major funds like Abu Dhabi’s ADIA – as the secret behind avoiding overconcentration in boom-and-bust cycles. Just as SWFs commit to governance structures that stretch across decades, family wealth managers can design processes to withstand generational transitions, ensuring that short-term market jitters do not derail long-term objectives.

Altoo’s Spin on Institutional Rigor

For affluent families wary of replicating the heft of a national fund, a platform such as Altoo can help bring these institutional principles to life. Its real-time performance view, cross-asset transparency, governance features, and risk simulations stand out as ways to enforce discipline without burying families under paperwork. The approach is reminiscent of what top-tier SWFs already do in-house – only distilled into a platform accessible to families of varying sizes.

Real-world examples from Altoo AG illustrate this point. One multi-generational European family office, documented in Altoo’s ALBAPAZ case study, previously grappled with manual reporting across scattered bank statements and disparate data feeds. After centralizing everything within a single digital interface, the family discovered a worrying currency imbalance that had gone unnoticed amid the spreadsheet chaos. They corrected course quickly, freeing up resources and reinvesting in lower-volatility sectors – a nimble pivot akin to what SWFs also routinely execute.

Institutional Might, Family Insight: How Altoo Translates SWF Strategies for Private Wealth

  • Real-Time Performance View
    Like an SWF’s continuous market surveillance, Altoo delivers on-demand insights across all holdings, so families can identify trends and risks swiftly.
  • Cross-Asset Transparency
    SWFs diversify globally, and Altoo’s consolidated interface mirrors that approach by pooling banking, real estate, and alternative investments into a single clear overview.
  • Scenario-Testing & Risk Oversight
    Much as SWFs run macroeconomic stress tests, Altoo’s platform enables scenario analysis on a family’s entire portfolio – flagging potential liquidity gaps or concentration risks.
  • Robust Governance Features
    SWFs operate under defined mandates; Altoo’s secure environment and customizable user permissions support similarly disciplined oversight without excessive complexity.
  • Collaboration & Stakeholder Alignment
    Just as SWFs involve multiple agencies or committees, Altoo’s data-sharing functions let UHNW families, advisors, and next-gen members coordinate decisions in real time.

By weaving these institutional-grade processes into a digitized, user-friendly ecosystem, UHNW families can capture the best of both worlds: the stability and foresight of SWFs – and the nimbleness of a private wealth structure.

For more, visit our product page.

Thinking Big, Acting Nimbly

Sovereign wealth funds have also long recognized the importance of diversification beyond traditional equities and bonds. They are venturing into private equity, venture capital, and frontier technologies – a tactic that families are increasingly keen to emulate. Indeed, some SWFs maintain partnerships with specialized tech accelerators, gleaning early insight into emerging fields like AI or green energy. For families, adopting a similar mindset can yield impressive returns, provided that governance and risk monitoring remain robust.

In an environment rife with geopolitical tensions and market uncertainty, applying an SWF lens to private wealth management can be a prudent step. As Keates notes, “Being able to move quickly and decisively, based on accurate and holistic data, might be the single greatest advantage in a volatile world. That capacity is what SWFs have honed, and it’s entirely replicable on a family scale.”

Building a Resilient Legacy

Sovereign wealth funds, born out of government mandates but forged in the crucible of global markets, show that long-term resilience is more than luck. It is a byproduct of meticulous governance, rigorous risk analysis, and the sort of technological sophistication that illuminates problems before they metastasize. Wealthy families – whether they command sprawling offices or oversee investments privately – can profit from these lessons without mirroring an entire bureaucratic apparatus.

They need only to extract the core: a clear governance framework, early-warning risk systems, a commitment to values, and the readiness to adjust quickly when opportunities or threats appear. Such foresight has propelled SWFs through storms that have capsized countless other investors. It may well be the key to ensuring that today’s family fortunes endure – and grow – across generations to come.

Disclaimer: This content is provided for informational purposes only and does not constitute individualized financial advice. We encourage readers to consult professional advisors for personalized recommendations. This article is part of a broader series exploring emerging trends among ultra-high-net-worth individuals and families, reflecting a growing interest in aligning sophisticated governance strategies with private wealth management.

18 March 2025

Altoo Marks 2024 with Continuous Growth and Innovations

  • Significant revenue and user adoption fuelled by new partnerships and market expansion
  • Over 125 platform enhancements, including automated dividend forecasting and a revamped mobile app
  • Trebling in mobile user logins over 12 months, highlighting the interest and importance of wealth ‘on the go’
  • Strong client satisfaction showcased via client survey and new case studies in Altoo’s Resource Center

Zug, Switzerland – March 18, 2025: Altoo AG, a Swiss fintech bridging technology and wealth management, achieved significant milestones in 2024, including a more than 300% increase in mobile app usage, and higher client acquisition rates. Driven by new partnerships, expanded service offerings, and strong client satisfaction ratings, Altoo continues to solidify its position as a leading provider of digital wealth management solutions for family offices, investment professionals, and ultra-high-net-worth individuals (UHNWIs).

“We are proud of our strong performance in 2024, which highlights the market’s growing preference for intuitive, secure, and transparent wealth management tools. By focusing on innovative technology and trusted partnerships, we have maintained consistent growth while delivering on our commitment to client-centric services,” said Ian Keates, CEO of Altoo AG.

Financial Highlights & Growth

Over the past year, Altoo welcomed over 30% new customers to the platform, bolstered by partnerships with family offices and rising demand among the ultra wealthy. The year was especially robust, drawing these clients from more than six countries on three continents and prompting new business development programs for sustainable long-term growth. A March 2024 survey reinforced Altoo’s client-centric approach, showing a 98% satisfaction with 64% of respondents reporting the servicing team exceeded expectations. The dramatic increase of client usage of the new mobile app, together with higher numbers of regular logins to the platform underpinning the success, importance and quality of the Altoo Wealth Platform.

Advancements to the Altoo Wealth Platform

In 2024, Altoo introduced more than 125 new features and product improvements to its flagship product, recognized by Forbes as one of the top family office software platforms. Enhancements include Automated Dividend Forecasting for easy cash flow and liquidity planning, Enhanced Cash Flow Monitoring with real-time visibility into transactions and FX rates, and Upgraded Tagging & Filtering for more nuanced portfolio analysis. These developments build on Altoo’s mission to simplify complex wealth for clients worldwide.

Mobile App: On-the-Go Wealth Management

To meet the rising demand for real-time access to portfolio data, Altoo launched a major upgrade to its mobile app. Users can now navigate their entire wealth overview with ease, track performance metrics over time, and benefit from in-app search and watchlists, and much more. Collaboration tools also allow advisors, family members, and UHNWIs to securely share information, while transaction details and linked assets provide granular insights into trades, FX rates, and related holdings – all at the tap of a finger.

Partnership with Divizend & Commitment to Open Finance

Continuing its drive for innovation, Altoo partnered with Divizend GmbH to streamline cash flow and liquidity planning. This strategic move helps automate dividend reclaim processes and boosts efficiency in tax and dividend management.

Market Presence & Industry Engagement

Altoo heightened its profile at major industry forums, including the Europe Investment Family Office Summit 2024 in Lausanne, where it addressed trends in open finance and wealth-tech. The company was also featured in the Forbes Family Office Software & Technology Report 2024, highlighting the sector’s growing focus on AI and data security. In the UK and other markets, Altoo continued to demonstrate how its digital platform simplifies operations for UHNWIs, Family Offices and Financial Professionals worldwide.

Resource Center: Showcasing Client Success

Altoo introduced a Resource Center featuring real-world case studies that illustrate how clients – from multi-family offices to private individuals – leverage the Altoo Wealth Platform to improve efficiency and gain a comprehensive view of their total wealth. These stories shed light on best practices and underscore how Altoo’s user-friendly platform helps clients eliminate manual processes, simplify reporting, and make data-driven decisions.

Looking Ahead

Altoo anticipates continued customer and market growth in 2025, fuelled by upcoming feature rollouts, additional bank integrations, and targeted business development efforts. With plans to extend its footprint across Switzerland and Europe, Altoo remains focused on delivering top-tier digital wealth management solutions.

About Altoo AG

Altoo is a wealth management fintech founded in 2017 and headquartered in Zug, Switzerland. The company’s flagship product, the Altoo Wealth Platform, brings together data on clients’ holdings from multiple sources across their entire portfolios, automatically analyses it, and visualises the results in dashboards providing easy-to-understand overviews of their total wealth and detailed performance reports on individual assets. In 2024, Altoo was repeatedly named among the best providers of Family Office Software by Forbes Magazine. Constantly seeking new ways to simplify complex wealth for clients in over 20 countries, Altoo recently partnered with Divizend GmbH to optimise the Altoo Wealth Platform’s cash flow and liquidity planning features.

Media Contact

press@altoo.io

+41 78 311 56 25

Additional resources:

Company website: The Altoo Wealth Platform | Altoo AG
Corporate Blog Altoo Insights: Insights | Altoo AG
Newsletter Subscription: Subscribe | Altoo AG
Media Enquires: Media Enquiries | Altoo AG

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17 March 2025

Wealth Data Processing Specialist (80-100%)

Who we are

Altoo was founded in 2017 with the mission to create ‘simplicity for complex wealth.’

The Altoo Wealth Platform consolidates all assets held with banks and combines them with non-bankable assets such as real estate, private equity, or an art collection, empowering wealthy private individuals to keep track and control over their total wealth in a simple and intuitive way.

We are dedicated to creating new business opportunities by working closely with our clients and their advisors and combining our extensive market knowledge with technical excellence to create innovation in this business sector.

The Altoo Wealth Platform has been created by a team of highly skilled software engineers, experts in digital customer experience, together with experienced wealth management specialists, in-house at our office in Baar, Zug and is hosted in Switzerland.

We are looking for a highly motivated:

Wealth Data Processing Specialist (m/f/d)

For our target client segment of UHNW Individuals, Entrepreneurs and Family Offices.

As a Wealth Data Processing Specialist, you will be instrumental in bringing timely and accurate data from the banks to our end clients.

What you will do

  • You act as the primary point of contact for inquiries related to our custodian and market data feeds.
  • You proactively detect and resolve data delivery issues within our processing pipeline.
  • You analyze data patterns and relationships to define accurate mapping and transformation rules.
  • You collaborate with banks and external data providers to onboard new custodians and clients.
  • You work closely with the Wealth Servicing team providing essential support for their daily operations.
  • You identify opportunities to enhance data management processes, collaborating with the development team and external data providers to implement improvements.
  • You actively contribute to the implementation and adaption of data transformers to increase the straight-through processing rate.

What you can demonstrate

  • You are a true team player with a proactive mindset and a drive to get things done.
  • You have a genuine interest in finance, banking and wealth management and are eager to explore these topics in depth – experience in the field is a plus.
  • You are a technology enthusiast and feel comfortable diving into the technical details – experience with scripting languages, command-line tools and software development is a plus.
  • You are detail-oriented with a structured and analytical approach to problem solving.
  • You are comfortable with large datasets and investigating data files to track down and resolve issues.
  • You have strong interpersonal and communication skills to collaborate effectively with internal and external stakeholders.
  • You are reliable, discreet, and committed to maintaining high professional standards.
  • Proficiency in German or English.

What we offer

  • A unique opportunity to master bridging the gap between technology and business in a dynamic environment.
  • Hands-on experience with innovative and disruptive technology shaping the future of Wealth Management.
  • A modern workplace with flexible collaboration methods and easily accessible office spaces via public and private transport.
  • A transparent, flat-hierarchy organization where every voice is heard, and ideas matter.
  • The chance to join a small-sized yet technically senior company that values innovation and encourages your input.
  • A motivated and experienced team of colleagues who are ambitious, supportive, and eager to share knowledge.
  • The opportunity to contribute to a product where the user interface sets us apart from the competition.
  • A fun and collaborative work culture.

Does this sound like an ideal role and environment for you? Then do not hesitate and reach out to us directly via talent@altoo.io with your c.v. and why you would make a difference to Altoo. If your profile fits, we will reach out to you. All applications are confidential.

13 March 2025

Legacy Guardrails: How UHNWIs Secure Their Wealth in Case They Can’t Manage It

There are many reasons why a wealth owner may be unable to make important decisions regarding his or her portfolio.

Death is the most obvious reason; time waits for no one. According to the latest statistics from the World Bank, men in high-income countries live until around age 80 on average and women for a few years longer.

Medical, psychological, or legal hardships can also lead to temporary incapacitation. Harvard Medical School researchers found that one out of every two people will develop a mental disorder during their lifetime. Among men, the most common such disorders include depression and alcohol abuse.

While such scenarios are not pleasant to consider, almost all UHNWIs will find it even less pleasant to imagine that an adverse event affecting their own lives could lead to financial hardship for loved ones and a sub-optimal legacy. To minimise the likelihood of these negative consequences, UHNWIs should ensure that they build strong “legacy guardrails” of three types:

01 Structures and paperwork

Trusts, wills, death and disability insurance policies, and other estate planning building blocks are often complex – but UHNWIs will typically rely on trusted advisors to handle the legwork when it comes to putting this important paperwork together.

Here, the most important thing for UHNWIs is to devote proper time and attention to articulating their unique goals and vision for the long-term future, first to themselves and then to their advisors. Their wealth is a tool for realising this future. Their advisors will provide recommendations on how to safeguard this tool and ensure that it is used for the intended purposes.

Of course, it is also important to listen to advisors and take appropriate action. Like everyone, UHNWIs will likely prefer not to think about losing their lives or control of their finances. Thinking beyond oneself, however, is essential for true legacy building. 

02 Relationships

During their lifetimes, a shared set of family values is perhaps the most important long-term asset protection tool UHNWIs can give their heirs, and strong relationships are the best mechanism through which this tool can be transmitted. They take time to build; ongoing communication is essential.

Formally documented approaches to topics like wealth management, conflict resolution, and philanthropy can help – but no document can cover every single eventuality the future may hold. When heirs must inevitably make judgment calls, agreement on “what aligns with the family’s goals here” is likely to be their most valuable decision factor.

03 Informational continuity

While not all UHNWIs may be involved in the routine aspects of managing their wealth, they all play a key role in ensuring that all stakeholders have appropriate information.

Wise UHNWIs will avoid making themselves single points of failure in wealth information flows. Well-communicated legacy goals, well-written wills, or well-designed contingency plans will be of limited benefit to stakeholders who must scramble – especially in times of uncertainty or grief – to locate records, account statements, and other day-to-day administrative necessities.

In the modern age, an advanced digital wealth monitoring and reporting solution like the Altoo Wealth Platform is an ideal tool for ensuring that advisors, family members, executors, and agents have the information they need to efficiently act in accordance with a UHNWI’s wishes – even if he or she is unable to personally connect the dots.

The platform automatically consolidates, analyses, and visualises data on all of the assets in even the most diversified portfolios. It also features secure digital messaging and file storage with customisable access privileges to ensure that the right people can easily view and understand the right information at the right time.

We look forward to demonstrating how the platform can give you peace of mind that your wishes for your loved ones will be carried out effectively, even in circumstances where you are unable to provide direct guidance. Please contact us to learn more.

3 March 2025

Sidestep the Storm: Minimising Natural Disaster Risk for High-Value Collections

Protecting physical collectibles from physical damage typically involves using some form of structure with special features. For example, art collections can be kept in climate-controlled environments with sensors to detect rising ambient moisture levels. Even so, a natural disaster like a wildfire, flood, or earthquake can put any such structure at an exponentially higher risk of being compromised.

For smaller collectibles like rare coins, it is possible to invest in structures like safes that can survive almost anything nature can throw at it. But for larger (and larger collections of) collectibles like luxury cars, it is often impractical to take such measures. Also, the owners of such valuable items typically prefer to keep them on display – not locked away – to be enjoyed by themselves and guests.

For UHNWIs with a global mindset, a more practical approach will likely be to collect valuables in homes in geographical areas that are statistically unlikely to be affected by the most destructive natural disasters. Here are recommendations for identifying such areas, assuming that wealthy individuals will prefer to own homes in reasonably prosperous and well-populated metropolitan centers.

Defining the Risks: Types of Natural Disasters Most Likely to Destroy Luxury Homes

The natural disasters and extreme weather most likely to obliterate houses include:

  • Tsunamis. A tsunami is a series of powerful ocean waves typically caused by events such as underwater earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, or landslides. Waves can travel across entire oceans and cause devastating inundation upon reaching coastal areas.

    Cities at most risk of being affected by tsunamis are located along coastlines near subduction zones.

    Examples: Honolulu, Tokyo
  • Hurricanes/Typhoons/Cyclones. These storms form over warm ocean waters when a cluster of thunderstorms becomes organized and rotates due to a combination of low wind shear (changes in wind speed and/or direction with height) and the Coriolis effect (an effect of Earth’s rotation). As warm, moist air rises and condenses, releasing heat, the storm intensifies. They are called hurricanes when forming on the North Atlantic, Northeast Pacific, and Central North Pacific Oceans, typhoons when forming on the Northwest Pacific Ocean, and cyclones when forming on the South Pacific and Indian Oceans.

    Cities at most risk of being affected by these storms are located in tropical and subtropical coastal regions.

    Examples: Miami, Hong Kong
  • Powerful tornadoes. A tornado is a violently rotating column of air extending from a thunderstorm to the ground. It forms when wind shear creates a rotating horizontal vortex that is then tilted vertically by a thunderstorm’s updraft in a highly unstable atmosphere (warm air below, cold air above).

    Cities at most risk of being affected by powerful tornadoes are located in regions with specific meteorological conditions most frequently found in the central United States, often referred to as “Tornado Alley.” While large metropolitan areas are less likely to experience a direct hit from a powerful tornado, surrounding areas and smaller cities within these regions are at risk.

    Examples: Oklahoma City, Dallas-Fort Worth, Kansas City

    Wildfires. Wildfires typically occur in areas with dense vegetation, dry climates, steep slopes, and high winds.

    Examples: Los Angeles, Sydney, Cape Town.
  • Earthquakes. The majority of earthquakes occur along tectonic plate boundaries, where the interaction of moving plates creates stress that is released as seismic waves, sometimes triggering other hazards like tsunamis and landslides.

    Examples: Tokyo, Los Angeles, Istanbul
  • Heavy landslides. Especially when involving debris flows (a mixture of water, rock, soil, and vegetation), landslides can crush and bury homes.

    Cities at most risk of being affected by heavy landslides are located in areas with steep slopes, unstable geology, and heavy rainfall.

    Examples: Los Angeles, Hong Kong, Rio de Janeiro
  • Floods. Prosperous areas can face a variety of flood risks, including overbank flooding from rivers and urban flooding caused by heavy rainfall overwhelming drainage infrastructure. 

    Examples: London, New York City, Amsterdam

Where to Disaster-Proof a Collection, According to Research

While the 2024 World Risk Report and older – yet valid, as meteorological and geological patterns are relatively stable – research from insurer Swiss Re address the global risks of natural disasters, such information will likely be an imperfect tool for UHWNIs aiming to disaster-proof their collections.

The World Risk Report tends to focus on countries as opposed to cities. This approach is effective for smaller countries, but whether it is effective for larger countries like the United States – where risk profiles differ significantly from the east to west coasts – is questionable.

Swiss Re’s research takes a rather more city-centric approach but also focuses on rather broad factors like productivity losses due to employees being out of the office.  While such things do matter to UHNWIs and everyone else with a stake in a given economy, the research tends not to parse out issues like damage to collectibles owned by an area’s wealthiest residents.

Despite its shortcomings, this research can lead UHNWIs to make some broad conclusions:

  • Western, Central, and Southern Europe are among the safest places to safeguard collections from natural disasters. According to the 2024 World Risk Report, Monaco was the state least likely to be severely impacted by force majeure. Andorra, San Marino, and Luxembourg followed next in the ranking. Eleven of the 15 safest states were located in Western, Central, and Southern Europe, including Switzerland, Malta, and Denmark. Two states from the Northeastern Arabian Peninsula, Qatar and Bahrain, also ranked highly at #8 and #9, respectively.
  • Japan as well as Los Angeles and Amsterdam are among the places in which collections are at most risk of being lost to natural disasters. According to Swiss Re’s analysis, Tokyo and Nagoya ranked among the top 10 riskiest cities worldwide across all three dimensions of risk they assessed (related mainly to societal and economic impact). Los Angeles, Amsterdam, and Osaka also appeared in the top 10 for two of these dimensions.


Comparing all of the information presented so far in this article with research from Henley & Partners on millionaires’ favorite places to live, Paris, Milan, Frankfurt, and Geneva might be ideal cities in Europe for keeping collections. Geneva seems to be particularly appealing; it was the city in mainland Europe that saw the highest rise (+36%) in the population of millionaires from 2013 – 2023.

Keeping Track of Collections with Altoo

Wherever collectibles are kept, the Altoo Wealth Platform can help their owners keep track of them and the items’ current values. The Altoo Wealth Platform is an advanced digital solution that consolidates, analyses, and visualises data on all the diverse holdings typically present in UHNWIs’ portfolios, both bankable and non-bankable. For UHNWIs managing extensive collections across various – hopefully disaster-safe – locations the platform’s gallery view helps maintain a comprehensive inventory, including item location and current valuation. Valuations, insurance policies, and other important digital documents connected to individual items can be attached to each item’s record for easy, logical access.

Please contact us for a demo!