The Premise and Opportunity

The Looming Challenge for Family Businesses

The greatest wealth transfer in the history of the United States, brought about by the aging of the baby boomer generation, is expected to accelerate over the next decade, resulting in an unprecedented transfer of assets from family-held companies.

Families experiencing these succession events will enter periods of significant change and increased capital needs for their businesses. The resulting search for liquidity will be challenged by:

  • Reduced bank lending appetite

  • Higher for longer interest rates

  • Geopolitical and macroeconomic uncertainty

Family-held businesses represent a significant market opportunity in the United States.

Trillions of dollars of family wealth are anticipated to be transferred over the next 20 years, which will drive the need for effective intergenerational transfers. Capri Capital Partners looks to fulfill this critical, yet underserved need for family-held businesses.

Market Overview


5.5 M

family-held businesses in the US1

57%

of the US GDP is generated by family businesses1

61%

of family-held businesses do not have a formal succession plan in place2

~60%

of family business owners believe the next generation are not ready to take over or are unsure of their readiness3

The Great Wealth Transfer

An estimated $72 trillion will change hands over the next 20 years.

This unprecedented transfer will include hundreds of thousands—if not millions—of family-held businesses.

Estimated Wealth to be Inherited Through 2045, by Generation4

This great wealth handover has long been anticipated, but recent studies show that it is underway and gathering momentum.

UBS estimates that “billionaires aged 70 or more will transfer $6.3 trillion over the next 15 years”, exceeding their 2023 estimate of “$5.2 trillion over 20-30 years.”⁵

References: 1. Per the Smith Family Business Initiative at Cornell University. 2. Per Brightstar Capital Partners and Campden Wealth – North America Family Business Report, 2023. 3. Per Brightstar Capital Partners and Campden Wealth – “The Pulse of Family Business”, October 2024. 4. Cerulli Associates, “The Cerulli Report: U.S. High-Net-Worth and Ultra-High-Net-Worth Markets 2021”. 5. UBS Billionaire Ambitions Report 2024.