TL;DR
- AI leads: 65% of 333 family offices prioritize AI now or later; 17% cite crypto and digital assets as a key theme.
- Crypto stays marginal: 89% report zero exposure, average allocation is 0.4%, Bitcoin averages 0.2%, and 72% hold no gold.
- Private equity tops planned increases at 37% as geopolitics leads risk at 20%; Asia shows more interest, with ~5% crypto targets and a $10M VMS idea.
Artificial intelligence has become the top investment theme for family offices, while crypto still draws limited interest, as decision makers reframe AI as portfolio infrastructure rather than a trade. The 2026 Global Family Office Report polled 333 single family offices across 30 countries from May to July 2025. It found 65% of respondents, or 216 offices, are prioritizing AI related investments now or in the future, versus 17%, or 56 offices, for crypto and digital assets. The key point is that AI is moving from narrative to pipeline for large private portfolios in 2026.
Allocation, risks, and AI
Portfolio reality remains cautious. The report says 89% of family offices have zero exposure to cryptocurrencies, while the average global allocation to crypto and digital assets is 0.4%; exposure to Bitcoin averages 0.2%, keeping both well below 1% overall. Gold is also underowned, with 72% reporting zero exposure, despite being a classic uncertainty hedge. The practical takeaway is that most offices are not using crypto or gold as hedges, even when uncertainty is loud. The report adds that appetite for both traditional and emerging hedges remains limited across regions for most portfolios today globally.
Where capital is expected to move is more conventional. About 59% of respondents, or 197 offices, are based in the United States, with the rest spread across Europe, Latin America and Asia Pacific. Private equity is the most favored asset class, with 37% planning to increase allocations over the next 12 to 18 months. The operating pattern is to pursue AI exposure through private markets while keeping liquid risk tightly managed. Growth equity and venture capital are also gaining traction, even though more than half of offices still report no current exposure right now.
Risk framing helps explain the posture. Geopolitics is the top global risk at 20%, followed by liquidity and trade policy at 12% each, with asset valuations, economic growth and portfolio concentration close behind. The bigger message is that risk management is dictating pacing, and AI is one of the few themes clearing the hurdle. A Reuters report said some Asian families target about 5% crypto exposure, with rising interest across Singapore, Hong Kong and China, as enquiries and fund demand rise, and VMS Group is considering up to $10 million in Re7 Capital strategies.
