Family offices -- they’re the secretive, go-anywhere asset managers that quietly steward fortunes for the ultra-rich. In Asia, Singapore has emerged as the new family office hot spot, wooing captains of industry, crypto whales, and Chinese billionaires with low taxes, favorable regulations, a business-friendly environment, and safety and security. The island has become home to more than 1,100 family offices, which manage more than $4 trillion in assets.

Why is Singapore such a draw for the world’s billionaires? Is the growth sustainable? And what are the risks? Venture capitalist and family office CEO Sharon Sim joins co-hosts John Lee and Tom Corbett for a look under the hood at this insular but fast-growing corner of the high net-worth world.

Family offices -- they’re the secretive, go-anywhere asset managers that quietly steward fortunes for the ultra-rich. In Asia, Singapore has emerged as the new family office hot spot, wooing captains of industry, crypto whales, and Chinese billionaires with low taxes, favorable regulations, a business-friendly environment, and safety and security. The island has become home to more than 1,100 family offices, which manage more than $4 trillion in assets.
Why is Singapore such a draw for the world’s billionaires? Is the growth sustainable? And what are the risks? Venture capitalist and family office CEO Sharon Sim joins co-hosts John Lee and Tom Corbett for a look under the hood at this insular but fast-growing corner of the high net-worth world.

Some of the world's largest and fastest-growing markets, economies and companies are in Asia. Every Thursday, John Lee from Bloomberg Intelligence speaks with experts and newsmakers about the big ideas and trends moving money across the region.

Some of the world's largest and fastest-growing markets, economies and companies are in Asia. Every Thursday, John Lee from Bloomberg Intelligence speaks with experts and newsmakers about the big ideas and trends moving money across the region.

Asia Centric by Bloomberg Intelligence

Why Singapore Has Become a Family Office Hotspot

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/6f5be334-92a9-41e5-a1cd-b0d200060d6f/transcript

Exchange-traded funds are fundamentally reshaping how capital is allocated, skyrocketing to a $22 trillion global industry that Bloomberg Intelligence estimates will surpass $50 trillion by 2035. Investors no longer view them simply as vehicles for broad passive exposure. Instead, ETFs have evolved into portfolio "Lego blocks" used to manage cash yields, seek downside protection and access previously difficult asset classes such as Bitcoin. This intersection of ETFs and digital assets is also driving broader financial innovation, spurring a lively debate around the future tokenization of equities.

Samara Cohen, Global Head of Market Development at BlackRock, and Nicholas Peach, Head of APAC iShares, join host John Lee and special co-host Rebecca Sin on the Asia Centric podcast. Dialing in from the iShares ETF certification conference in Singapore, they discuss the evolution of the ETF wrapper, the growing buzz around prediction markets and why Asia’s ETF landscape – despite currently lagging behind the US and Europe – is poised for phenomenal growth over the next decade. 

Exchange-traded funds are fundamentally reshaping how capital is allocated, skyrocketing to a $22 trillion global industry that Bloomberg Intelligence estimates will surpass $50 trillion by 2035. Investors no longer view them simply as vehicles for broad passive exposure. Instead, ETFs have evolved into portfolio "Lego blocks" used to manage cash yields, seek downside protection and access previously difficult asset classes such as Bitcoin. This intersection of ETFs and digital assets is also driving broader financial innovation, spurring a lively debate around the future tokenization of equities.
Samara Cohen, Global Head of Market Development at BlackRock, and Nicholas Peach, Head of APAC iShares, join host John Lee and special co-host Rebecca Sin on the Asia Centric podcast. Dialing in from the iShares ETF certification conference in Singapore, they discuss the evolution of the ETF wrapper, the growing buzz around prediction markets and why Asia&rsquo;s ETF landscape &ndash; despite currently lagging behind the US and Europe &ndash; is poised for phenomenal growth over the next decade.

BlackRock on Crypto, Tokenization and Future ETFs

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/31d4afeb-1449-4823-9854-b4500094b5d2/transcript

The post-pandemic era transformed private credit into one of the hottest areas in finance as investors chased double-digit returns, creating a multi-trillion-dollar industry. Now, the narrative is quickly shifting as default rates climb, high-profile bankruptcies expose hidden leverage, and some major funds suddenly freeze withdrawals. So just how worried should we be, and what about Asian private credit specifically?

Steve Smith, co-founder of Maybole Capital Partners and a finance veteran who has weathered eight credit cycles over his 40-year career, joins John Lee on the Asia Centric podcast. He outlines why he believes Asia is already in the "bust" phase of the credit cycle and explains why the region's bespoke, multi-jurisdictional private credit market is inherently riskier than the highly standardized US market. Smith also discusses his family office's strategic investments, highlighting catastrophe bonds as an alternative fixed-income asset offering highly consistent, uncorrelated returns.

The post-pandemic era transformed private credit into one of the hottest areas in finance as investors chased double-digit returns, creating a multi-trillion-dollar industry. Now, the narrative is quickly shifting as default rates climb, high-profile bankruptcies expose hidden leverage, and some major funds suddenly freeze withdrawals. So just how worried should we be, and what about Asian private credit specifically?
Steve Smith, co-founder of Maybole Capital Partners and a finance veteran who has weathered eight credit cycles over his 40-year career, joins John Lee on the Asia Centric podcast. He outlines why he believes Asia is already in the "bust" phase of the credit cycle and explains why the region's bespoke, multi-jurisdictional private credit market is inherently riskier than the highly standardized US market. Smith also discusses his family office's strategic investments, highlighting catastrophe bonds as an alternative fixed-income asset offering highly consistent, uncorrelated returns.

A Veteran's Warning on Asia's Private Credit Risks

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/d184299d-833a-4f85-9955-b449005e06af/transcript

The war in Iran and high oil prices are driving a surge in demand for China's electric vehicles abroad, with sales in March jumping more than 50% in countries such as Australia, Brazil and Germany. However, the domestic market paints a bleaker picture. Total domestic auto sales slumped 17% in the first quarter amid a brutal price war, subsidy pullbacks and a new 5% EV tax. Adding to the pressure, global giants like Volkswagen are fighting back with new, highly competitive models, leveraging a localized cost base to regain their footing in the world's largest auto market.

Bloomberg Intelligence's Michael Dean, head of global autos research, and Joanna Chen, Asia autos analyst, join John Lee on the Asia Centric podcast fresh from their trip to the Beijing Auto Show. They unpack the sheer scale of the event, which featured 1,400 cars on display, highlighting the intense competition driven by advanced tech and aggressive pricing. The analysts also discuss how foreign automakers are learning toward exporting vehicles using "China speed" and explore the outlook for Europe's ultra-luxury brands such as Ferrari.

The war in Iran and high oil prices are driving a surge in demand for China's electric vehicles abroad, with sales in March jumping more than 50% in countries such as Australia, Brazil and Germany. However, the domestic market paints a bleaker picture. Total domestic auto sales slumped 17% in the first quarter amid a brutal price war, subsidy pullbacks and a new 5% EV tax. Adding to the pressure, global giants like Volkswagen are fighting back with new, highly competitive models, leveraging a localized cost base to regain their footing in the world's largest auto market.
Bloomberg Intelligence's Michael Dean, head of global autos research, and Joanna Chen, Asia autos analyst, join John Lee on the Asia Centric podcast fresh from their trip to the Beijing Auto Show. They unpack the sheer scale of the event, which featured 1,400 cars on display, highlighting the intense competition driven by advanced tech and aggressive pricing. The analysts also discuss how foreign automakers are learning toward exporting vehicles using "China speed" and explore the outlook for Europe's ultra-luxury brands such as Ferrari.

Beijing Auto Show Heralds a Brutal EV War

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/d5045699-a5dd-4df5-812a-b442001f85bf/transcript

Why Singapore Has Become a Family Office Hotspot

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