Advising 130 Wealthy Families: Inside the Rise of Momentum Family Office

The Growing Demand for Family Offices

The demand for independent, high-touch family offices has never been higher. Globally, the number of family offices is expected to grow by more than 30% by 2030, while assets under management continue to concentrate among entrepreneurs and ultra-high-net-worth families. In the Netherlands alone, the number of UHNW individuals has increased by more than 40% over the past decade, reshaping expectations for wealth advice.

In this episode of Wealth Insider, host Christian Lindvall sits down in Amsterdam with Frits Moonen, Founding Partner of Momentum Family Office, to explore what is driving this structural shift and how a fully independent advisory model is challenging long-standing private banking conventions.

Seven years after founding Momentum, Frits and his team now advise more than 130 wealthy families. The growth has been rapid, but the philosophy behind it is deliberate: advice without product sales, full transparency on fees and risk, and a long-term mindset designed to span generations.

“Advice and product should not be done by the same party. As soon as you mix those two, independence is gone.” - Frits Moonen, Founding Partner of Momentum Family Office

‍

Why Families Are Turning to Independent Family Offices

Frits argues that the rise of multi-family offices is not a trend, but a correction. For decades, many families believed they were receiving objective advice simply because there were few alternatives and limited transparency. That dynamic is now changing.

Markets have become more transparent, costs are harder to hide, and families are increasingly willing to compare experiences with peers. Where trust was once built on reputation, presentation, or brand, it is now earned through clear structures, aligned incentives, and data-driven decision-making. Clients are more informed, ask better questions, and expect clear, well-substantiated answers from their advisers.

In the conversation, Frits explains how transparency, generational change, and broader access to financial knowledge are fundamentally reshaping what wealthy families expect from their advisers.

‍

A Different Model for Wealth Advice

Momentum Family Office does not manage assets or manufacture products. Instead, the firm evaluates and selects external managers across public and private markets, allowing advice to remain fully objective.

This structure removes conflicts of interest and changes the nature of the client relationship entirely.

“I don’t make products. I don’t receive kickbacks. I don’t charge performance fees. If I did, the incentives would be wrong.” - Frits Moonen, Founding Partner of Momentum Family Office

Frits is particularly outspoken about performance fees at the advisory level, arguing they encourage unnecessary risk-taking and misalign interests over time. By focusing solely on advice, Momentum positions itself as a lifelong partner rather than a sales channel.

‍

Scaling a High-Touch Family Office Without Losing Trust

One of the most striking parts of the conversation is how Momentum has scaled while maintaining an unusually personal service model. Each relationship team serves a deliberately small number of families, and growth is carefully managed so it never comes at the expense of existing clients.

Rather than increasing client loads, Momentum expands horizontally by continuously investing in specialist expertise across private equity, private debt, estate planning, and data analysis. As the firm grows, service quality improves rather than declines, reinforcing long-term trust and strengthening client relationships instead of diluting them.

‍

Technology as an Enabler

Technology plays a central role behind the scenes, particularly in consolidated reporting, liquidity forecasting, and commitment pacing across private markets. As portfolios become more complex, the priority is to make them easier for clients to understand, while giving the advisory team the precision required to manage risk and capital flows effectively.

Frits explains how data-driven portfolio construction and detailed liquidity planning are critical to managing private market exposure responsibly, especially as allocations increase and portfolios span a wider range of asset classes.

‍

Advice for Families Choosing a Family Office

For high-net-worth families evaluating advisers, Frits offers clear guidance: look beyond comfort and chemistry, and focus on fundamentals.

Performance, cost, and risk should drive decisions, not brand names or polished meetings.

“A nice suit and good coffee are not decision factors in finance.”

He encourages families to meet multiple advisers, ask difficult questions, and demand clarity on incentives before committing.

‍

Watch the Full Episode

Watch the full conversation with Frits Moonen to hear how Momentum Family Office is redefining independent wealth advice in the Netherlands.

About the Guest

Frits Moonen is Founding Partner of Momentum Family Office, an independent Dutch multi-family office advising entrepreneurial families across Europe. Prior to founding Momentum, Frits worked in private banking at ING, where he gained deep insight into the limitations of product-driven advice. His work today focuses on building long-term, transparent advisory relationships designed to last generations.

‍

About Wealth Insider

Wealth Insider is a podcast by Performativ, exploring the strategies, technology, and people shaping the future of wealth management. Each episode brings candid conversations with leaders across investment management, private banking, fintech, and regulation.