Family Offices in 2025: What the Numbers Tell Us and Why Athletes Should Pay Attention

In late 2025, Campden Wealth and RBC Wealth Management released The North America Family Office Report 2025 — one of the most comprehensive studies on the state of family offices in the U.S. and Canada. It surveyed 141 single and private multi-family offices representing roughly $285 billion in assets under management and offers a snapshot of how ultra-wealthy families are thinking about risk, technology, talent, and private markets in a post-pandemic, rapidly changing global economy.

As someone transitioning from professional sports into investing — particularly in sports companies and growth opportunities — I found several takeaways especially relevant for athletes who are thinking about how to position themselves in the private investment and family office ecosystem.

1. Family Offices and Athletes Are Evolving, But Caution Rules the Day

The 2025 report highlights that family offices are becoming more cautious in their return expectations, with the average expected return for 2025 around 5% compared with much higher expectations in previous years. Many offices are focused on liquidity and de-risking portfolios amid economic uncertainty and market volatility.

For an athlete or aspiring investor, this underscores a broader truth: capital allocators today prize stability and clear cash-flow fundamentals over high-beta, speculative bets. That doesn’t mean growth opportunities aren’t relevant — but it does mean understanding how family offices think about risk, duration, and balance between income and growth is essential before pitching or proposing deals.

2. Private Markets Still Matter — Even if Momentum Has Shifted

Despite a slight pullback, private markets still account for roughly 29% of the average family office portfolio, making them one of the largest alternative allocations an office will make in a given year.  This includes venture capital, private equity, private credit, and direct company investments.

For athletes seeking entry into the investment world, this is encouraging — family offices are not retreating from private investing. They may be more selective, but they are still allocating meaningful capital to illiquid, privately negotiated opportunities.

What’s important here is understanding how they allocate and why. Many offices view private markets as a way to generate risk-adjusted returns that don’t depend solely on public market beta — a philosophy that aligns with disciplined, long-term investing.

3. Operational Modernization and Technology Adoption Are Growing Priorities

One major theme from the report is the rising adoption of automation and AI to support investment reporting, research, and operations. Almost three times as many family offices are using AI tools in their workflows in 2025 compared to the prior year, particularly for tasks like reporting and research.

For athletes, this is both a warning and an opportunity:

• Warning: Family offices today are demanding more sophistication around data, analysis, and reporting — meaning that if you want to be taken seriously as an investor or partner, you need to be able to communicate clearly in a language they understand (metrics, trends, models, not just passion).

• Opportunity: Tools like AI allow investors without institutional pedigree to produce high-quality analysis faster, leveling the playing field for capable, curious individuals.

This dovetails with the direction I want to take my investing thesis — building repeatable systems, leveraging tech to augment insight, and approaching investments with data as well as intuition.

4. Next-Generation Leadership and Talent Dynamics Are Changing the Game

Another strong theme emerging from related reports is that family offices are increasingly looking to next-generation talent and younger professionals to help guide strategy — particularly in areas like impact investing, technology, sustainability, and alternative assets.

This trend matters for athletes, especially those considering:

• Roles within family offices

• Strategic partnerships with family office allocators

• Capital raising from these groups

Younger leadership within family offices may be more open to creative collaborations, emerging sectors like sports tech, and value-driven investing — all areas athletes can credibly engage in.

5. The Philosophical Shift: Purpose Matters More Than Ever

The report also notes an increase in family offices thinking about responsible investing and purpose alongside pure financial returns. Even though only a portion of offices did formal impact investing, many consider environmental, social, and governance (ESG) criteria part of their long-term strategy — and family values increasingly inform allocation decisions.

This trend resonates with many athlete investors, who often:

• Care about community impact

• Value brand alignment with social purpose

• Want to invest in sectors that reflect their identity and values (including sports, accessibility, health, and wellness)

Family offices that embrace this blend of purpose and performance are likely to be among the most active and receptive partners for non-traditional investors.

So What Does This Mean for Athletes?

Here are the practical implications if you’re an athlete thinking about sports investing or family office engagement:

🔹 Understand the mindset shift

Family offices are not gambling. They are:

• Stabilizing portfolios

• Prioritizing liquidity

• Investing for long-term, risk-adjusted returns

Pitching, or partnering with them, requires discipline and credibility, not hype.

🔹 Align with themes they value

Private markets, responsible investing, operational excellence, and tech adoption are all areas of active engagement. If you can speak intelligently about opportunities that fit these themes — especially in sports‎/tech crossover — you’ll have more resonance.

🔹 Develop measurable investment rigor

Family offices increasingly demand sophisticated reporting and analysis. Using AI and automation to support your insights — especially if you lack institutional experience — will help you speak their language.

🔹 Position yourself as next-generation leadership

They want talent — and many are thinking about how to involve younger professionals in investment and strategy roles. Athletes with entrepreneurial experience and domain expertise (e.g., sports tech, team ownership, sports infrastructure) can be valuable conversation partners.

Final Thought

The North America Family Office Report 2025 shows that while family offices are cautious, they are also active, evolving, and open to innovation if presented with credible, thoughtful opportunities. For athletes considering a pivot into investing — whether through roles, partnerships, or direct capital deployment — there’s space to contribute — but it requires preparation, clarity, and strategic alignment.

If you’re looking to get involved, start by understanding how capital allocators think, not just how they invest. That mindset is the bridge from athlete to investor.