Wealth & Estate Transfer: Preparing a Family for a $2B Transition

CASE STUDY

Wealth & Estate Transfer: Preparing a Family for a $2B Transition

An ultra-high-net-worth family office transferred a $2B estate across 23 heirs with STP’s support. A rebuilt estate plan, a new governance board, and tailored heir education made it possible.
Client Type: Ultra-High-Net-Worth Family Office
Geography: Nationwide
AUM: $2B

The Challenge:

A family office built around a $2 billion estate had to prepare for the transfer of wealth from its Generation 1 founder to 23 descendants across three generations. Its holdings included liquid securities, alternative investments, and a substantial hotel and residential real estate portfolio. The existing estate plan had not kept pace with the family’s growth. It did not account for all three generations of heirs, gave no clear framework for who would control the family office and its hotel business, and left the family exposed to a large estate tax bill with limited liquid assets to pay it. When the founder passed away sooner than expected, the timeline accelerated and every workstream came under pressure.

The Requirements:

The family needed a comprehensive solution that could:

  • Redesign the estate plan and trust structure to cover all 23 heirs
  • Set up a governance structure for family office control and investment decisions
  • Fund the estate taxes without forcing the sale of illiquid real estate
  • Prepare Gen 3 and Gen 4 members to own assets they had never managed

The Solution:

STP was engaged before the founder’s death, which gave the team a head start on the redesign. We rebuilt the estate plan and trust structure to reflect every heir and to formalize how ownership of the family office and hotel business would pass down. We set up a family governance board with defined roles and decision rights across generations. To cover the estate taxes, we combined trust restructuring, life insurance, and refinancing of real estate holdings. Each Gen 3 and Gen 4 family member also received one-on-one coaching tailored to their new holdings. When the timeline accelerated, this groundwork let the team move straight into execution.

The Outcome:

The family transferred its $2 billion estate across 23 heirs without selling a single hotel property to cover estate taxes. The new governance board resolved emerging tension over control of the family office. The family office’s investment operations continued without disruption. The family now has a durable governance and education framework in place to support future generational transitions.

KEY ISSUES

KEY RESULTS

  • Outdated, Incomplete Estate Plan: The existing plan did not account for all three generations or address how control of the family business and hotel holdings would transfer.

  • Governance Conflict: Tension emerged among Gen 2, 3, and 4 over who would control family office decision-making and investment authority.

  • Estate Tax Liquidity: The illiquid hotel and real estate holdings created a risk that estate taxes would force the sale of core properties.

  • Financial Literacy Gap: Gen 3 and Gen 4 members were about to hold direct stakes in alternatives and real estate they had no experience managing.

  • Accelerated Timeline: The founder’s earlier-than-expected passing compressed the timeline for plans still in progress.

SERVICES & PROCESSES

  • Estate Plan & Trust Redesign: Restructured the estate plan and trusts to reflect all 23 heirs and the ownership transition.
  • Family Governance: Designed and facilitated a governance board with defined roles and decision rights.
  • Investment Advisory: Advised across liquid, alternative, and real estate holdings.
  • Estate Tax Liquidity Planning: Combined trust restructuring, life insurance, and real estate refinancing.
  • Heir Education & Coaching: Provided one-on-one coaching for Gen 3 and Gen 4 members on their new holdings.
BACK TO CASE STUDIES
background

Sign up for our newsletter to get the latest industry insights.