Asia’s rich fear losing the family fortune — but many still have no succession plans, survey shows

A Lombard Odier survey shows that Asia's wealthy families want to preserve their fortunes across generations, but many still lack basic succession plans. Asiavision | E+ | Getty Images Asia's wealthy families want to preserve their fortunes across generations, but many still lack basic succession plans, according to a new Lombard Odier survey. The survey of more than 390 high-net-worth individuals across Asia-Pacific with net investable assets of at least $1 million found that 64.2% of respondents said preserving family wealth across generations was their main priority when considering wealth transfer. Yet only 26.9% said their family had a full succession plan in place, while 39.4% said they had no succession planning at all. The findings expose what the Swiss private bank described as an "intention-implementation gap" among Asia's wealthy families, many of whom remain underprepared despite growing awareness of succession risks. The issue is becoming increasingly urgent as Asia and the rest of the world undergo a massive intergenerational wealth transfer , particularly among first-generation entrepreneurs preparing to pass businesses and fortunes to their children. John Woods, Lombard Odier's Asia chief investment officer, warned that many families risk squandering wealth without stronger governance and planning frameworks. "This sort of concern around this contradiction is worrisome to me," Woods said during a roundtable accompanying the report launch. …