Compare direct company ownership with the alternatives available to the family.

Family Office Private Wealth Journal · Editorial research desk · 2 November 2026

Companion to Single Family Offices as firm owners: Comparative performance effects by Joern Block; Onur Eroglu; Nicolas Legendre; Dmitry Bazhutov; Danny Miller; André Betzer.

Decision in practice

A direct acquisition looks attractive because prior family-owned companies performed well. The relevant alternative is what this office could own with the same capital and effort.

Committee assignment

Compare the target with a passive stake and an outside-managed acquisition, including time, follow-on reserves and control rights.

Record and decision rule

A three-column alternatives memo. Defer the deal if the claimed ownership advantage has no named operator or funded implementation plan.

Illustrative application by the editorial desk. The source authors did not evaluate or endorse this procedure.