The newsletter is shorter than usual this week after a blizzard hit New York City, delaying this reporter’s move to a new apartment and stranding his mother-in-law here.
The first version of the Modus Family Office Technology Map, published in August 2025, was clearly a work in progress. Modus readers understood that and shared valuable observations and suggestions. The only common gripe about the first map was that it had too few software categories and just 25 companies. There needed to be way more, readers said at the time.
As of yesterday’s update, the map now has more categories and over 50 companies, and readers will still demand more (which Modus will continue to add as time allows). But they will certainly have additional thoughts. As the map has evolved, so have the comments about it.
Modus knows that some worthwhile categories are still missing, such as “Compliance” for the tools family offices use to manage all the entities they are responsible for, and “Investment Research.” Modus is not yet convinced that some companies deserve their own category, as some have argued privately. (Funnily, a company that could argue for its own category, Knowledger, has not.) All of that can be addressed.
Unlike those examples, the “All (or Some)-in-One Platforms” category could ultimately become an existential problem for the map.
The addition of the “All (or Some)-in-One Platforms” category months ago seemed obvious. Many software companies didn’t fit neatly into “Accounting” or others, and a catch-all felt better than having some companies appear in multiple categories or not appear at all. Right now, and for the foreseeable future, it works well enough. Someday, it might not.
The vast majority of software used by family offices was not created specifically for them, but many aspire to serve them like vertical market software. Companies continue to expand their own platforms or integrate with others. Meanwhile, vertical software startups for the wealthiest private investors continue to raise venture capital.
Niche software for specific purposes will always exist, even for relatively small groups of users, such as family offices (roughly 8,500 worldwide today and 10,000 in 2030). Modus expects the number of categories and companies on the map to grow in the near term.
But down the road, it’s possible the “All (or Some)-in-One Platforms” category balloons with more competitors than the market can support. Then, some will go out of business, and a shorter list will become dominant in the family-office market. Is that improble or destiny? If that happens, is the map doomed? Maybe not, but the visualization won’t be as interesting.
Until that hypothetical day comes, please continue to send recommendations—companies, categories, design, or functionality—for the map. You can hit reply or email me at michael.thrasher@modus.news.
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More News
- Don’t miss this rare Modus Q&A with a former hospital administrator who started one of the top healthcare advisory firms in the U.S. We talked about why building a wing of a hospital or knowing someone on the board doesn’t guarantee the best care; Robert F. Kennedy Jr.; longevity snake oil, and, of course, “The Pitt.” The Access Myth and Everything Else John Samuels Must Explain to Family Offices.
- A lot of ink was spilled between last Friday and now about Blue Owl. Semafor’s Liz Hoffman wrote a few clear-headed paragraphs about it. In short, the manager sold $1.4 billion of loans at essentially face value (99.7 cents on the dollar) to give investors some of their money back, and it’s winding down the fund. This is not great, but not terrible; it could have rolled that cash back throughout the coming years and collected fees. Also, “here’s the thing to keep in mind: If Blue Owl were a bank, it would already be out of business.”
- Bill Gates apologized to the staff of the Gates Foundation during a town hall this week for his ties to Jeffrey Epstein, mistakes that have become a cloud over the philanthropic organization, The Wall Street Journal reported. Gates said he met with Epstein starting in 2011, years after Epstein had pleaded guilty in 2008 to soliciting a minor for prostitution, but he was aware of his crimes and didn’t properly check his background.
- Gencom, a 40-year-old Miami-based real estate developer and operator with nearly $8 billion in assets under management, 23 properties, and 6,000 hotel rooms around the world, recently purchased the InterContinental New York Times Square with other partners, as well as the Ritz-Carlton in Manhattan, with a lot of family-office capital. Family offices accounted for more than 50% of the money for those transactions, well above the typical 20%, Gencom told Bloomberg News. Part of the explanation: A new partnership with Miami-based White Bridge Capital, which advises wealthy families mostly from Latin America and Europe on investments.
- Raves, Debt and Deaths: How a Wall Streeter Came to Own New York’s Biggest Club.
- There Are 154 Billionaire Women in the U.S. Here’s How They Amassed Their Fortunes.
- Saks Owner Says He Saved Department Stores. Never Mind the Bankruptcy.
- Novel-Writing Judge Steps Back From Hedge-Fund Bankruptcy as Ethical ‘Corrective.’
- Bohemian Grove, the ultra-secretive, men-only society that makes the rounds in the press every decade or so when a list of its members is leaked, is making those rounds again. As of 2023, many wealthy people in the Bay Area and beyond, with family offices, appear to be part of it.
- We’re obsessed with vampires because all of their stories ultimately make us wonder: “Is it better to live a never-ending life or is the meaning of life predicated on its brevity?”
Jobs
- Stryde Search featured job: A distinguished, privately held wealth management firm is hiring a director to lead comprehensive family office services for an elite clientele of families and select institutions in Manhattan. You’ll report directly to the firm’s head of family office, shape the group’s strategy, and collaborate with a multidisciplinary team of investment, tax, legal, and service professionals. Ideal candidates will have advanced credentials and 10+ years of experience in private banking or multifamily offices. Compensation includes a base salary of $250,000, a bonus and a benefits package. To explore confidentiality, contact Karen Berry at kb@strydesearch.com.
- Schonfeld Family Office is hiring a research and strategy advisor in New York City. This is a senior role, offering a $300,000 salary and other benefits.
- The Redlum Family Office (RFO), a single-family office in Zeeland, Michigan, near Grand Rapids, that provides professional, integrated philanthropic, financial, and individual services to its principals, is hiring a controller.
- Million Dollar Baby Co., a family-owned business with brands including Babyletto, daVinci, Nursery Works, and Namesake, is hiring a family office and real estate operations coordinator. It pays $85,000 and offers other competitive benefits.
- Robert Half is looking for a head of family office in Dallas, Texas.
- JSB Partners is helping a single-family office find a senior operations and executive support assistant in New York City. This person will report directly to the CEO and CFO and, ideally, has experience at an SFO or similar small-team environment, as they will be doing the typical things. Knowledge of Microsoft Office is a must; experience with Sage Intacct, Bill.com or QuickBooks is ideal. They want you in the office four days per week and will pay up to a $150,000 salary, plus a bonus.
- A single-family office is hiring an estate manager for a property in Malibu, California, who will manage contracts, staff and annual budget consolidation related to the spot. Candidates should be: “Stoic. Hospitable. Polished. [And have a] Calm demeanor.” It pays $250,000 plus benefits. Unsurprisingly, this job is five days a week on-site, plus some weekends.
Other Stuff
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- Send me news tips about: software companies and service providers that count family offices as customers, new family offices opening, old ones dissolving, family-office-relevant information about asset managers and investment banks, and anything else you think like-minded readers would want to know. To share information in confidence, you can reply to this email or message me on Signal: 330-962-6441.
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- Finally moving into my new apartment today, after the first attempt was cancelled due to the literal blizzard in the Northeast.
