Family Office AUM
Family office AUM is the total assets managed by the family office on behalf of the family (or families), typically across public, private, and real assets.
Allocator relevance: Provides scale context for ticket size, staffing sophistication, and likely strategy breadth—while requiring careful interpretation.
Expanded Definition
Family office AUM can be ambiguous: it may refer to investable assets managed by the office, total family net worth, or assets under advisement. Many families also hold substantial wealth outside the office structure (operating companies, trusts, external managers), so reported AUM may be partial.
In allocator targeting, AUM is most useful when paired with liquidity preference, mandate, and decision authority mapping rather than used as a standalone qualifier.
How It Works in Practice
AUM is often estimated from public signals, disclosed figures, or derived indicators. Because AUM can change with markets and internal restructuring, “last verified” and source confidence should be attached when used operationally.
Decision Authority and Governance
Higher AUM can correlate with more formal governance and specialization, but this is not guaranteed. Governance mapping remains essential regardless of scale.
Common Misconceptions
- AUM is always a verified, precise number.
- Higher AUM always means larger ticket sizes.
- Family office AUM equals family net worth.
Key Takeaways
- Treat AUM as an estimate unless verified.
- Use AUM as context, not as the sole targeting filter.
- Pair with mandate and liquidity preference for real fit.