Our Writers · 2026-10-22
The Great Wealth Transfer: How Billionaire Families Pass On Their Fortunes
The coming decades will see the largest handover of wealth in history. Forbes España (Forbes España) warns that this great wealth transfer has an expectations problem: heirs often expect more, and sooner, than the families can deliver.
Families at the top
Our ranking is full of second and third generations: Rob Walton & family ($141 B), Jim Walton & family ($138 B) and Alice Walton ($128 B) — three children of Walmart's founder, all in the world top 14. Françoise Bettencourt Meyers & family ($97.4 B), Julia Koch & family ($84.6 B) and Jacqueline Mars ($50.3 B) show the same pattern in cosmetics, industry and food.
Succession on stage
In India, the Ambani family is preparing the next generation in public: Taiwan's FTV Finance (民視財經網) reported this week that the eldest son is taking a central role ahead of a large Reliance IPO. Meanwhile Forbes Italia (Forbes Italia) reports that Gautam Adani has overtaken Mukesh Ambani as India's richest man in 2026.
What lasting families do
They keep the company together instead of splitting it, give heirs real jobs before ownership, and put rules in writing — the same rules as in our guide on how the rich stay rich.
Education as investment
The ultra-rich spend heavily on their children's future: PRESIDENT Online (PRESIDENT Online（プレジデントオンライン）) describes services that cost families up to ¥100 million for a child's university admission.
What it means for ordinary families
The principles scale down: a written plan, heirs who understand the assets, and no forced sale when the moment comes.
Figures: Forbes Real-Time Billionaires and companiesmarketcap.com as shown on our rankings on 22 October 2026; net worth is an estimate and moves every trading day. This article is information, not financial advice.
Sources:
La gran transferencia de riqueza tiene un problema de expectativas (Forbes España); our richest people ranking; Gautam Adani supera Mukesh Ambani: è il più ricco dell’India nel 2026 (Forbes Italia); オールAでもハーバードに受からない…超富裕層が子供の大学受験に｢最大1億円｣を払う驚きのサービスの中身 (PRESIDENT Online（プレジデントオンライン）).