Leo Group

Leo Group

Leo Group launched in 2012 under founder Matthew Allain, establishing its base in Shanghai to serve a developing market for independent wealth advice in mainland China. The firm later absorbed The Capital Company and BFT Financial Group to form Leo Wealth, creating an advisory network that spans Asia and the United States. Two senior practitioners joined through these mergers: Jessica Cutrera, formerly CEO of The Capital Company, now serves as President of Leo Wealth; Harmen Overdijk stepped in as Chief Investment Officer. The combined entity operates under both SEC registration in the U.S. and SFC licensing in Hong Kong. The firm allocates across public equities, fixed income, private credit, real assets, and alternatives, constructing portfolios for individuals, institutions, and foundations. A dedicated vehicle, LeoGroup Private Investment Access, LLC, runs private market commitments for U.S.-based clients. In 2022, Leo Wealth launched a crypto ETF strategy, signaling appetite for listed digital-asset exposure through regulated wrappers — distinct from many Asia-headquartered advisors that avoided the space entirely. The firm has also facilitated unconventional private transactions: a Stradivarius violin reportedly changed hands in a Bitcoin-denominated deal involving Leo Group entities. Team scale has not been published, but the firm maintains registration with both the SEC and Hong Kong's Securities and Futures Commission — a dual regulatory posture that imposes staffing and compliance overhead typical of a mid-sized cross-border advisory practice. In 2024, Leo Wealth continued to position itself as an independent alternative to private banks for founders, entrepreneurs, and professionals with financial lives spanning multiple jurisdictions. The wealth management arm has supported New Alternatives for Children, a New York-based foster care and disability-services nonprofit, signaling a philanthropic channel in the U.S. market. Leo Group's architecture flips the typical offshore wealth model. Instead of running a centralized booking center in Singapore or Hong Kong and dispensing advice remotely, it operates an onshore U.S. RIA with licensed capability in Asia — a structure more common among firms serving Chinese nationals who have already migrated assets and family members into American jurisdictions. This makes the advisory relationship less about moving money out of China and more about managing what is already outside.