The world’s most influential families are increasingly living, doing business, and investing globally. Citi Wealth’s distinctive Global Client Service is designed to meet their needs, helping to enable their ambitions and build their legacies worldwide
“Even amid partial deglobalisation, globality matters more than ever for wealth creators,” says Hannes Hofmann, head of Citi’s Family Office Group. In June, Citi Wealth conducted its annual survey of family office clients, one of the industry’s largest and most comprehensive. “We’re seeing that a majority of our clients view themselves as ‘international’,” says Hofmann. “They hold assets across multiple countries, have family members living abroad, or are contemplating shifting assets, adding passports, or relocating near term.”
So, how does Citi Wealth empower such families to realise their global ambitions?
Unlocking potential global opportunities
“We start by understanding each client’s needs,” says Hofmann. “Many successful families recognise the potential of globalising their business and portfolio exposure. And numerous countries are changing their tax, regulatory, and immigration systems to attract wealth-creating families and businesses.”
Hofmann cites the example of an Asia-based family with a business they want to expand into Europe and North America. Their wealth is managed by a Hong Kong family office, which their next generation also wishes to establish in London and Miami, for which they require residency rights.
“Going global can help families access new markets and diversify wealth,” continues Hofmann. “Where assets are held can be as important as which assets are held. This is about seeking growth and managing risk.”
Singapore is among the leading locations for holding wealth. In 2024 alone, the number of tax-incentivised family offices here rose 43 per cent to over 2,000. “Citi’s roots in Singapore go back to 1902,” says Hofmann. “We have long enabled families to establish themselves locally.”
A decade of global client leadership
For all its benefits, globalisation comes with challenges. Every jurisdiction has its own considerations, from stability and convenience to financial and legal infrastructure. As a trusted partner to over 25 per cent of the world’s billionaires and over 1,800 family offices, Citi Wealth is equipped to help clients navigate cross- border complexity. For over a decade, its Global Client Service has leveraged Citi’s global network, local expertise and execution capabilities to provide bespoke strategies wherever clients, their businesses, and family offices operate.
For example, a Latin American business owner could trade China A-shares within Asia, finance a second home on the US West Coast, borrow against holdings in Switzerland, and establish banking facilities overseas, all while minimising risks to family and assets with a cross-border wealth plan.
Connected across regions
Integration and connectivity are the Global Client Service’s hallmarks. Each client has a dedicated private banking team that extends across regions where they have an account, working in unison towards their wealth goals.
“We’re also the gateway for our clients’ businesses,” says Hofmann. “We can connect them to Citi’s network spanning 180 jurisdictions and six continents as well as to institutional services like capital raising, strategic advice, and trading.”
Preparing for global wealth’s next era
“We expect the rise of the global family to accelerate,” says Hofmann. “Families today need to think global as they create multigenerational wealth. Citi’s network and expertise allow us to serve them in a way that others may not.”
This story first appeared in the September 2025 issue. Purchase it as a print or digital copy, or consider subscribing to us here
