Building a Family Office That Lasts: Lessons in Wealth, Legacy & Leadership

A liquidity event can create new freedom for a family business owner, but it also creates a new responsibility: managing wealth with the same rigor used to build the business.

In this episode, Scott Saslow, author of Building a Sustainable Family Office and founder of One World Investments, shares what families need to understand before and after creating a family office. He explains why a family office should be treated like a business, not a passive wealth structure, and why leadership, talent, mission, and structure matter just as much as investment performance.

Listeners will walk away with a clearer understanding of how family offices evolve, when outsourcing may make sense, how sustainable investing can connect wealth with purpose, and what families should consider before a liquidity event.

Leadership & Culture Family Wealth & Estate Planning

“Making money and keeping money are two different things.”

Scott Saslow

Key Takeaways

➜ A family office is not something you put on autopilot. Scott explains that families often assume wealth can simply be handed off to a trusted advisor, but managing significant capital requires structure, oversight, and ongoing leadership.

➜ The same discipline that built the family business should guide the family office. A family office needs the right people, clear roles, strong processes, and thoughtful decision-making, just like any successful operating company.

➜ Liquidity events require preparation before the transaction happens. Families should review advisors, legal structures, ownership details, and long-term goals before the intensity of a sale process begins.

➜ Mission helps keep family members engaged across generations. Scott emphasizes that a shared purpose can help connect the broader family to the wealth, especially when not every family member wants a direct financial or operating role.

➜ Sustainable investing can align capital with values without giving wealth away. Through examples from healthcare, education, clean energy, and early-stage investing, Scott shows how families can use capital for both returns and broader impact.

Guests Appearing in this Episode

Scott Saslow
The founder of One World Investments and author of Building a Sustainable Family Office. With a background in entrepreneurship, venture investing, and multi-generational family business leadership, Scott helps families think strategically about wealth, legacy, leadership, and sustainable investing.