The term family office gets applied to a wide range of businesses. Some began as a single household's private staff and later opened their doors to other families. Some sit inside banks and trust companies. Others were built recently as independent advisory firms. What they include under the same label varies considerably, which makes a side-by-side look at scope more useful than a look at size.
The firms below are listed in no particular order. Each description draws on the firm's own public materials and regulatory filings. Inclusion here is descriptive rather than a recommendation, and anyone evaluating a provider should read its Form ADV and speak with it directly.
- Bessemer Trust
Founded in 1907 by Henry Phipps Jr., Bessemer began as the private office of a single family and opened to outside clients in 1974. It remains privately owned and directed by the Phipps family and is headquartered in New York City. The firm covers investment management, trust and estate administration, and family office work, and states a $10 million minimum for full-service access.
- Neil Jesani Wealth
Neil Jesani Wealth Management, LLC is a fee-only, SEC-registered investment adviser operating as a multi-family office from Sunrise, Florida. The firm works with clients meeting a $10 million portfolio minimum and states that it receives no commissions on products. Published work covers portfolio management across public and private markets, planning for restricted stock units and stock options, and coordination with tax and estate professionals. Registration with the SEC does not imply a certain level of skill or training.
- Glenmede
Established in 1956 to serve as trustee and administrator of The Pew Memorial Trust, Glenmede is a privately owned trust company based in Philadelphia with nine US offices. Its published scope covers private wealth management, family office work, trust and fiduciary administration, financial planning, philanthropy, and endowment and foundation management.
- Whittier Trust
Whittier traces its family office origins to 1935 and was chartered as a state trust company in 1989. It operates from Pasadena, California, and Reno, Nevada. Published work spans investment management, fiduciary and trust administration, philanthropic services, and real asset oversight. Clients include families, private foundations, donor-advised funds, and charitable entities.
- Rockefeller Capital Management
Formed in 2018 when Viking Global Investors acquired a majority stake in Rockefeller and Co., the firm is headquartered at 45 Rockefeller Plaza in New York. Its predecessor dates to 1979. The business is organized into three divisions, one of which, the Rockefeller Global Family Office, handles wealth management, family office work, and trust administration.
- Pathstone
Pathstone is a privately held registered investment adviser describing itself as a fully integrated advisory platform. Published scope covers investment management, financial planning, tax strategy, estate planning, trust administration, family governance, philanthropy, business advisory, and lifestyle management. Client segments include multigenerational families, existing family offices, and mission-driven institutions such as foundations and endowments.
- Cresset
Founded in 2017 by Eric Becker and Avy Stein and based in Chicago, Cresset was started by two people who had been clients of other wealth management firms. The firm combines wealth management with public and private investment management, and its published work includes estate and tax planning alongside portfolio construction.
- Brown Brothers Harriman
BBH took its current form in 1931 through the merger of three houses, the oldest of which dates to 1818, and it remains a private partnership headquartered in New York. Its Capital Partners division holds the multi-family office alongside corporate advisory, private equity, and investment management, while a separate Investor Services arm serves asset managers and institutions.
- Tolleson Wealth Management
Established in 1997 by John C. Tolleson as the family office for his own household, the Dallas firm later opened to other families. Published services include investment management, estate planning, philanthropy, tax planning, private banking, trustee and estate settlement work, financial reporting and bill pay, and family engagement programs.
- Moneta
Moneta was founded in 1989 and operates from St. Louis as an advisor-owned partnership and registered investment adviser, stating that it carries no private equity ownership. It describes itself as fee-only and lists financial planning, investment management, estate and tax planning, trust services, philanthropy strategy, and family office support among its capabilities.
Reading the List Sideways
Placed next to each other, these firms show how far the same two words can stretch. A trust company chartered in the 1950s and an independent adviser founded in 2017 may both publish a family office page, yet the underlying business, ownership, and regulatory footing differ.
That is the useful takeaway for anyone shortlisting providers. Compare the published scope of family office services against what a household actually requires, then confirm the structural details separately, since ownership, fee basis, and custody arrangements are disclosed in regulatory filings rather than on a services page.