PHILOSOPHIA – The Bohemian Secrets of Wealth

In the book Family and Business: The Secrets of Sustainable Legacy, the discussion mainly focuses on two common inheritance planning tools—wills and trusts.

At the beginning of 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic struck, claiming many lives. We often saw various stories shared by patients’ families in the media, which made us realize how terrifying this virus is. From infection to death, it sometimes took only a few short days. Many critically ill COVID-19 patients did not even have the chance to properly say goodbye to their loved ones or arrange their affairs before passing away. The families left behind not only had to endure the pain of losing someone dear, but also had to handle funeral arrangements. Some even found themselves overwhelmed by the complexities of estate transfer matters.

In traditional Chinese society, topics related to death have long been regarded as taboo. This is because humans naturally fear unfamiliar and unknown things. However, if we do not plan ahead, and an unfortunate death occurs, what we leave behind may not only be deep regret, but also many unresolved issues that can lead to family disputes.

This global pandemic has changed our lives and also our way of thinking, because this time, death was so close to us. The sudden surge in demand for wills and trusts further convinced me that most people still have many misconceptions about wealth succession planning.

For this reason, we hope to share this knowledge with the public through this book, so that more people may benefit from it.