Asia-Pacific’s heirs turn to wealth professionals for succession advice, UBS says

SINGAPORE, May 12 (Reuters) – Asia-Pacific’s ultra-rich, set to take part in a global transfer of $83 trillion in assets over the coming decades, are leaning more on wealth managers and family officers for succession planning than their European and North American peers, a UBS report found.

With over 40% of Asia-Pacific’s families in the process of transferring wealth or actively planning to pass wealth on to the next generation, about 72% of those set to inherit assets are looking first to professionals for support, the Swiss bank said.

That compares with 42% in North America and 19% in Europe turning to wealth managers and family officers for advice.

“We see APAC families adopting a more structured, deliberate approach to intergenerational transition,” said Young Jin Yee, co-head of UBS Global Wealth Management APAC.

“The next generation is also telling us that access to a strong global network is what truly differentiates a wealth manager.”

The $83 trillion in private wealth transfer is expected to occur over the next two to three decades, UBS said, with the “next generation” referring to those set to inherit such wealth and assume a greater role in managing their families’ fortunes and businesses.

UBS’s inaugural Global Next Generation Report combined findings from two surveys conducted between May 2025 and January 2026, comprising 175 responses globally, of which around 11% came from Asia-Pacific.

Nearly a third of those surveyed worldwide said their families are already transferring wealth, with parents and senior wealth owners taking the lead in starting the conversation on the topic for most families, the report said.

(Reporting by Rae Wee; Editing by Sonali Paul)