A major London-based family office tied to the roughly US$12 billion Rausing family fortune from Tetra Pak is exiting Hong Kong, reflecting a broader trend of wealthy investment firms rethinking their global setups as costs rise.
Alta Advisers, which manages assets for the UK branch of the Rausing family, stopped its investment activities in Hong Kong last year and is now working to remove its presence from the city’s business registry. However, it continues to operate in Asia through a Singapore-based entity established over a decade ago.
The firm, founded in 1996, is restructuring its operations after expanding its workforce significantly in recent years. It has also closed some inactive entities in Singapore. The Rausings’ wealth originates from Hans Rausing, who sold a major stake in Tetra Pak decades ago and was worth nearly US$12 billion at the time of his death in 2019.
Alta’s move mirrors similar decisions by other billionaire families, including those linked to James Goldsmith and James Dyson, who have consolidated or relocated their family office operations to jurisdictions like the Cayman Islands and Singapore.
Rising costs are a key driver behind these shifts, with family offices now typically spending between 0.6% and 1% of assets under management—about double previous levels. Industry experts say many wealthy families are increasingly opting for simpler, more centralized structures rather than maintaining operations across multiple locations.
