“The Hitchhiker’s Guide To The Galaxy” & Family Offices

The world of family office management, with various complexities, challenges, and idiosyncrasies, might seem galaxies away from the comedic science fiction series “The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy” by Douglas Adams. However, the zany universe Adams created contains concepts surprisingly relevant to the next generation of wealth owners, their management, and future-facing family offices. The original series aired on radio 45 years ago, a series of books and a film interpretation followed – the ideas still hold relevancy, so let’s embark on this improbable journey together.

1. Don’t Panic: Managing Uncertainty

Every family office faces its share of crises: market volatility, internal family disputes, finding talent and regulatory changes. And even without any crises, the jobs to be done by family office managers sometimes seem endless, while learning happens on-the-fly. The key is to approach each obstacle calmly and methodically. “Don’t Panic,” the most famous catchphrase of Adams’ guidebook, can serve as a mantra for family offices.