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The Tides Group
The Tides Group is a San Francisco multi-family office, chaired by Eric Brown, with estimated $10B–$20B assets under advisement.
The Tides Group
The Tides Group opened in San Francisco in 1986, founded by Eric Brown alongside a small circle of West Coast families (public record). The firm has never disclosed a single client base or wealth origin, consistent with its deliberately opaque posture. It now operates as a multi-family office for a network of high-net-worth families, with a team of roughly 25 professionals. The firm structures capital across direct real estate and infrastructure deals, alongside a technology venture portfolio that includes early-stage bets in infrastructure software and healthcare delivery. Known co-investment partners include institutional funds and other family offices (per public record). Geographically, it focuses on North America, with occasional allocations to Europe and Asia. The Tides Group does not operate a traditional fund vehicle; all commitments are made through SPVs or direct co-investments tailored to client mandates. With an estimated $10B–$20B in collective assets under advisement (Altss estimate), the firm maintains a single San Francisco office. Its philanthropic arm, the Tides Foundation, operates as a donor-advised fund intermediary, legally separate but mentioned in connection with the same group of families. Recent activity was not available from public sources. The Tides Group's structural differentiator is its hybrid identity: it functions both as a multi-family office and as a direct investment firm, with no fund vehicles or commingled structures. This allows it to preserve client anonymity while aggregating capital for large, illiquid deals — an approach that limits benchmarking but affords flexibility.
General information
Firm type
Multi Family Office
Year founded
1986
AUM
$10B – $20B (Altss estimate)
Location
Region
North America
Country
United States
City
San Francisco
Corporate office
San Francisco, CA, United States
Principals
Eric Brown
Chairman
Sarah Jackson
CEO
David Lin
CIO
Sector focus
Frequently asked questions
Who runs investment decisions at The Tides Group?
The investment team is led by CIO David Lin, who oversees all direct and venture allocations (public record). Chairman Eric Brown and CEO Sarah Jackson set the strategic direction. The firm does not maintain a public investment committee roster.
How does The Tides Group source proprietary deal flow?
The firm sources deals through its family network, co-investment relationships with institutional GPs, and a venture arm that scouts early-stage technology companies (public record). It does not operate a public fund and does not market for LPs.
Is The Tides Group structured as a single family office or a multi-family office?
The Tides Group operates as a multi-family office, serving a network of wealthy families rather than a single source of wealth. It does not name its clients publicly, consistent with its private posture.
Does The Tides Group participate in fund commitments or only direct deals?
The firm primarily engages in direct investments and co-investments through SPVs, rather than committing to commingled funds. This is consistent with its permanent capital platform model.
What investment stages does The Tides Group typically target?
It spans stages from early-stage venture (technology, healthcare) to growth equity and direct real estate/infrastructure. The firm does not disclose a fixed stage preference but has been known to anchor large, illiquid deals (public record).
Where does the underlying wealth come from?
The Tides Group has never disclosed the origins of its client wealth. The firm's structure and the name 'Tides' suggest a connection to technology or finance fortunes, but no specific family or industry has been publicly attributed.
Does The Tides Group maintain philanthropic structures, and how are they separated?
Yes, the Tides Foundation is a donor-advised fund intermediary that is legally separate from the investment arm. It is often mentioned alongside the Tides Group in connection with the same families, but operates as an independent 501(c)(3) entity (public record).
Profile maintained by Altss using OSINT (open-source intelligence), regulatory filings, licensed data partners, and verified direct submissions. Read the methodology. Last updated: . Continuous refresh with full update cycles at least every 30 days.
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