The family office managing $72.7 billion in assets embraces private equity.

Despite the high uncertainty in global trade, family offices of Citigroup clients are still seeking high-risk investments in the private equity market to increase returns. A survey by Citigroup of 346 global family offices found that nearly three-quarters of investment firms are seeking direct acquisitions of company equity, with startups being one of the most popular investment areas. These family offices have an average net worth of $2.1 billion. The optimism towards private equity is most pronounced, with 36% of respondents saying they have increased their allocation to this asset class in the past year, while only 10% have reduced it. Looking ahead, direct private equity is ranked as the second most favored asset class in the short term by family offices, just behind developed market stocks.