HELM Financial Advisors

Tom Gores serves as the principal decision-maker for HELM's investment portfolio. He founded Platinum Equity in 1995 and built the firm into a global buyout platform managing roughly $48 billion. HELM's investment committee is not publicly documented, but the office's mandate originates directly from Gores' personal portfolio allocation strategy.

HELM derives the majority of its deal flow from Platinum Equity's origination network, which generates thousands of potential transactions annually. Because Gores co-invests personal capital alongside Platinum's institutional funds, HELM participates in deals that have already passed the firm's internal screening process. This creates a proprietary pipeline for the family office that external investors cannot replicate.

HELM is a single-family office dedicated exclusively to Tom Gores' wealth. Unlike multi-family offices that take outside capital, HELM does not solicit third-party investors. Its investment posture resembles a direct co-investment platform, with capital deployed alongside Platinum Equity funds in control buyouts and opportunistic situations.

HELM's primary investment vehicle is direct co-investment alongside Platinum Equity's flagship funds. The office occasionally participates in other private equity fund commitments and special-purpose vehicles, but co-investment represents the core deployment mechanism. This structure allows Gores to avoid double fees while maintaining exposure to Platinum's full deal pipeline.

HELM principally co-invests alongside Platinum Equity, though the office has the flexibility to back external managers when attractive. Given Gores' controlling role at Platinum and the firm's internal sourcing capabilities, outside co-investments are infrequent. The office prioritizes opportunities where it can bring Platinum's operational turnaround expertise to bear.

Tom Gores acquired the Detroit Pistons through his family office structure in 2011 for $325 million. HELM manages the Pistons as a portfolio asset, with all basketball operations and holding-company functions flowing through the family office's oversight. In January 2024, Gores expanded his sports holdings by acquiring the Motor City Cruise, the Pistons' NBA G League affiliate.

Tom Gores' wealth originates from Platinum Equity, the private equity firm he founded in 1995. Platinum specializes in acquiring non-core divisions from large corporations and transforming them into standalone entities. The firm has completed over 450 acquisitions and manages roughly $48 billion in assets, making Gores one of the wealthiest private equity founders in the United States.