E197: Why Most Family Offices Fail—7 Lessons from Harvard Professor

Christina Wing is a Senior Lecturer at Harvard Business School, where she teaches the “Family Enterprise” course—a foundational class for the rising generation of family office leaders. She’s also the founder of Wingspan Legacy Partners, where she advises ultra-high-net-worth families on governance, talent, and legacy. In this episode, I sat down with Christina to unpack why most family offices are structurally flawed—and what to do about it. Christina shares insights from advising dozens of families and training hundreds of HBS students from Gen 1, Gen 2, and beyond. We explore the real reason most family offices fail, how to build a high-functioning investment operation, and why separating investment, concierge, and philanthropic functions is critical. Christina also walks me through what makes MSD Capital, the Koch family office, and others stand out—and how the next generation can step up and lead with clarity. Highlights: Why 90% of family offices are structured incorrectly—and how to fix them The biggest mistake families make when building a family office How the Koch and Dell families have structured their offices for performance Why talent is the number one constraint in the great wealth transition The critical distinction between cost centers and revenue drivers in family offices How to attract top investors to run your family’s capital Pay, incentives, and why family offices should behave like professional firms The psychological gap between generations—and how to overcome it Why Gen 2 and Gen 3 must take ownership and ask the hard questions How to align mission, capital deployment, and family legacy The future of family offices and why they could outperform other asset classes -- Guest Bio: Christina Wing is the Founder of Wingspan Legacy Partners, a strategic advisory firm serving families and their enterprises, and a Senior Lecturer at Harvard Business School, where she teaches the Family Enterprise elective. Prior to founding Wingspan, she spent nearly two decades advising operating companies and family offices on leadership, succession, governance, and strategy. Christina is recognized for her work helping multigenerational families navigate the complexities of wealth, purpose, and transition. Her research and teaching sit at the intersection of family dynamics and business performance. Our Podcast now receives more than 300,000 downloads a month. Are you interested in sponsoring an episode? Please email David Weisburd at david@weisburdcapital.com . #VentureCapital #VC #Startups #OpenLP #assetmanagement -- Stay Connected: X / Twitter: David Weisburd: @dweisburd LinkedIn: David Weisburd: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dweisburd/ Christina Wing: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christina-r-wing/ Links Wingspan Legacy Partners: https://wingspanlegacy.com/ -- Questions or topics you want us to discuss on How I Invest? Email us at david@weisburdcapital.com . (0:00) Episode preview (2:04) The Koch family's investment and concierge services model (5:24) Managing challenges and team optimization in family offices (7:16) Outsourcing and talent competition in smaller family offices (10:32) Recruitment strategies and pay scales in family offices (17:47) Revenue generation and tactical strategies for family office capital (23:07) Organic vs. fund perspective approaches in family office investments (23:53) Psychological and generational dynamics in family offices (29:18) Responsibility and wealth dynamics across family generations (36:42) The role of failure and resilience in family wealth (38:00) Wealth as an opportunity or a curse (40:33) Fostering proactive behavior in family office generations (44:03) Practical steps for family office success and post-liquidity strategies (47:50) Closing remarks