Top 8 Family Investment Companies Making Major Private Investments

Last Updated on October 8, 2026 by Business Blog Media Editorial Team

Introduction

Top 8 family investment companies can mean different things. Some people use the term for private companies that hold family assets. Others mean family offices created by wealthy founders and investors to manage capital, private deals, property, philanthropy and long-term financial interests.

This list covers the second group.

The ranking is based on publicly disclosed direct investment activity during 2025, using the CNBC Family Office 15 ranking built with FINTRX data. It does not claim these firms are the world’s eight largest family offices by assets. Most private family offices simply do not publish enough information for that comparison.

Quick Facts

Detail	Information
Ranking basis	Publicly disclosed direct investments in 2025
No. 1 company	Hillspire
Hillspire 2025 deals	15
No. 2 company	Bezos Expeditions
Bezos Expeditions 2025 deals	14
Main investment themes	AI, software, healthcare, climate, sports, media and fintech
Largest disclosed capital figure in this list	Builders Vision manages over $15 billion
Ranking source	CNBC Family Office 15 using FINTRX data
Data period	2025 investment activity
Ranking published	2026

Top 8 Family Investment Companies at a Glance

Rank	Company	Family or Principal	2025 Direct Investments
1	Hillspire	Eric and Wendy Schmidt	15
2	Bezos Expeditions	Jeff Bezos	14
3	Emerson Collective	Laurene Powell Jobs	12
3	Raptor Group	Jim Pallotta	12
5	Builders Vision	Lukas Walton	11
6	Euclidean Capital	Simons family	8
6	Thiel Capital	Peter Thiel	8
8	Bolt Ventures	David Blitzer	7

There are ties here. Emerson Collective and Raptor Group both recorded 12 deals. Euclidean Capital and Thiel Capital recorded eight each.

Bolt Ventures recorded seven. Duquesne Family Office also recorded seven, so Bolt shares that position rather than holding a standalone eighth place.

How the Top 8 Family Investment Companies Were Ranked

There is no reliable public database that tells us the exact total value of every large family office.

That matters.

Private family offices usually manage money belonging to one wealthy person or family. They are not required to publish the same level of financial information as listed companies.

So ranking them by estimated wealth can get messy.

For this list, activity is easier to check. CNBC’s Family Office 15 used FINTRX data to examine direct investment activity during 2025. The ranking looked at large U.S. single-family offices and counted their disclosed direct investments.

That gives us something measurable.

Now, let us look at them.

1. Hillspire

Family: Eric and Wendy Schmidt
Base: Menlo Park, California
2025 disclosed direct investments: 15
Main areas: AI, technology and family investment management

Hillspire sits at the top.

The company is an integrated family office serving Eric Schmidt, Wendy Schmidt and their family. Eric Schmidt is the former CEO of Google.

Hillspire handles much more than investing. Its stated work includes finance, accounting, legal services, property and facilities, human resources and information technology.

It also supports the family’s business and philanthropic work. The organisation says it supports more than 700 employees worldwide.

Investment activity pushed Hillspire into the No. 1 position in the CNBC/FINTRX ranking.

It recorded 15 direct investments during 2025. FINTRX said much of the activity was concentrated in artificial intelligence and newer technology businesses, including AI voice tools, automation, fusion energy and enterprise software.

AI is a clear theme.

Still, Hillspire should not be treated as a normal venture capital fund. It serves a family and manages a much wider set of financial and administrative activities.

What Makes Hillspire Different?

Its investment decisions can sit beside philanthropy, property management and long-term family interests.

That gives the office room to think differently from a fund that has outside investors and a fixed exit timetable.

An exact total AUM figure is not publicly confirmed by Hillspire, so it would be misleading to add one.

2. Bezos Expeditions

Principal: Jeff Bezos
2025 disclosed direct investments: 14
Main areas: AI, robotics, software, aerospace, healthcare and technology

Bezos Expeditions is Jeff Bezos’ private investment operation.

Its portfolio tells the story.

The official Bezos Expeditions website lists selected investments including Airbnb, Anduril, Arrived, Business Insider, Contextual AI, Collaborative Robotics, Field AI, Figure, Generalist AI, GRAIL, HistoSonics, Insitro, Perplexity, Physical Intelligence, Remitly, Stack Overflow, Uber and Workday.

That’s a wide spread.

But newer technology is easy to spot.

AI, robotics and software companies now form a visible part of its selected investment list.

Bezos Expeditions recorded 14 direct investments in 2025, putting it just behind Hillspire.

The website also presents major Bezos projects such as Blue Origin and The Washington Post separately from its selected investment portfolio. That distinction matters because every Bezos-linked asset should not automatically be described as a Bezos Expeditions portfolio investment.

How Does Bezos Expeditions Invest?

The company can invest across different business stages and sectors.

Some companies are early technology bets. Others grew into major global businesses.

The structure gives Bezos a direct way to back companies outside Amazon.

Its total AUM is not publicly disclosed in a form that makes a fair comparison with traditional investment firms.

3. Emerson Collective

Founder and President: Laurene Powell Jobs
Started: 2011
2025 disclosed direct investments: 12
Main areas: Energy, environment, healthcare, fintech, education, work and media

Emerson Collective works differently.

Laurene Powell Jobs created the organisation in 2011. It combines investment activity with philanthropy and social projects.

That mixed model is central to how it works.

Emerson says it invests in entrepreneurs and companies while working on issues connected with education, economic mobility, immigration and the environment.

Its venture investment team targets several clear areas:

• Energy and environment
• Digital health
• Fintech
• Education
• Future of work
• Media and journalism

It invests across different company stages.

Emerson Collective made 12 disclosed direct investments during 2025, tying Raptor Group in the ranking.

Is Emerson Collective a Normal Family Office?

Not exactly.

Calling it only an investment fund misses part of the picture.

Emerson uses investment capital and philanthropic funding under a broader organisation. This lets it back commercial businesses while also funding work where financial returns may not be the only goal.

A reliable public total AUM figure is not available, so one should not be guessed.

4. Raptor Group

Founder: Jim Pallotta
2025 disclosed direct investments: 12
Main areas: Technology, fintech, sports, consumer, media, healthcare, defense and infrastructure

Raptor Group is backed by Jim Pallotta’s family office.

Pallotta previously served as vice chairman of Tudor Investment Corporation. He later became well known in professional sports through his involvement with the Boston Celtics and AS Roma.

Raptor has a broad investment mandate.

It invests from early-stage businesses through private equity, public equity and investment funds.

Its stated sectors include technology, fintech, sports, consumer businesses, media, entertainment, healthcare, defense and infrastructure.

The firm recorded 12 direct investments during 2025. That placed it level with Emerson Collective.

Raptor’s background in sports is especially interesting.

Its founder has direct experience running and owning stakes in professional sports organisations. The investment company now backs businesses tied to areas such as sports technology, data, media rights, gaming and related services.

Raptor has also backed digital-asset investment activity. In 2024, Raptor and Mubadala Capital backed a $60 million blockchain-focused RW3 Ventures fund.

Raptor Group’s Investment Style

The firm does not stick to one company stage.

That gives it the option to back a young startup, invest in a mature private company or take positions through public markets and funds.

Its total family-office AUM is private.

5. Builders Vision

Founder: Lukas Walton
Base: Chicago
Assets managed: More than $15 billion
2025 disclosed direct investments: 11
Main areas: Food and agriculture, energy and oceans

Builders Vision gives us more public financial information than most names here.

Lukas Walton founded the investment and philanthropy platform. He serves as its Executive Chairman and Founder.

The organisation says its nearly 100-person team manages more than $15 billion across multiple asset classes.

Its investment team manages seven portfolios.

Those include a taxable multi-asset portfolio, a $3 billion foundation endowment, donor-advised funds and Builders Bridge. Builders Vision says its capital reaches more than 100 funds and over 50 portfolio companies.

Its main sectors are very clear:

• Food and agriculture
• Energy
• Oceans

Builders Vision recorded 11 disclosed direct investments during 2025.

Why Builders Vision Stands Out

Most firms on this list keep their total asset figures private.

Builders Vision does not hide the broad scale of its investment operation. The organisation publicly states that its investment team manages more than $15 billion.

The company also combines investment activity with philanthropy.

This means different pools of capital may have different jobs. Some seek financial returns. Others support charitable or market-building work.

6. Euclidean Capital

Family: Simons family
Base: New York
2025 disclosed direct investments: 8
Known interests: Public securities, biotechnology and private investments

Euclidean Capital is associated with the family of Jim Simons, the mathematician and investor who founded Renaissance Technologies.

The office keeps a relatively low public profile.

Euclidean recorded eight direct investments during 2025, tying Thiel Capital.

There is one useful public window into part of its portfolio.

Euclidean Capital files Form 13F reports with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Its filing submitted on August 14, 2026 covers the quarter ending June 30, 2026.

But a warning is needed here.

A Form 13F does not tell us the full size of a family office.

It covers certain securities that must be reported under U.S. rules. Private-company stakes, some foreign investments, property and other assets may sit outside that filing.

So a 13F portfolio value should never be presented as Euclidean Capital’s full AUM.

What Does Euclidean Capital Invest In?

Public reporting has linked the firm with biotechnology and life-science investments alongside its disclosed public-market holdings.

The exact full portfolio is private.

That’s normal for this type of organisation.

7. Thiel Capital

Founder: Peter Thiel
2025 disclosed direct investments: 8
Main areas: Technology and private investment

Thiel Capital manages investment activity connected with Peter Thiel.

Thiel is known as a co-founder of PayPal and Palantir and as an early investor in Facebook.

His investment network extends beyond one company. Separate firms and investment organisations associated with Thiel have operated across venture capital and private technology investment.

That distinction matters.

Assets managed by another Thiel-linked fund should not automatically be counted as Thiel Capital assets.

In the CNBC/FINTRX ranking, Thiel Capital completed eight disclosed direct investments during 2025.

Technology remains closely associated with Thiel’s investment activity.

Still, a verified comparable AUM number for Thiel Capital itself is not publicly available.

So we leave it out.

Simple.

8. Bolt Ventures

Principal: David Blitzer
Base: New York
2025 disclosed direct investments: 7
Main areas: Sports, media and entertainment

Bolt Ventures is David Blitzer’s family office.

Its investment identity is easy to understand: sports sits near the centre.

Bolt recorded seven disclosed investments during 2025. That number put it level with Duquesne Family Office in the ranking.

The activity did not stop there.

In 2026, Bolt led a new financing round for Just Women’s Sports. Sports Business Journal identified Bolt Ventures as Blitzer’s family office and reported that it had also taken part in the company’s earlier 2022 financing.

Bolt has also built exposure to sports properties and related businesses.

Legal firm Morgan Lewis lists Bolt transactions involving interests connected with the Cleveland Guardians, Washington Commanders, Real Salt Lake, Utah Royals, FC Augsburg, Brøndby IF, Estoril Praia and several other sports organisations.

In June 2026, Bolt announced the acquisition of the Texas Junior Golf Tour after acquiring the Hurricane Junior Golf Tour. The firm described itself as David Blitzer’s family office focused on sports, media and high-growth businesses.

Why Bolt Ventures Is Different

Sports investing requires specialist knowledge.

Media rights matter. Team economics matter. Fans matter. League rules matter too.

Blitzer’s long involvement in professional sports gives Bolt a clear area of experience that separates it from many general family offices.

Its total AUM remains private.

What Is a Family Investment Company?

A family investment company is a privately controlled organisation used to hold or invest family capital.

But the phrase needs context.

In the United States, people often talk about family offices. These organisations can manage investments, property, tax matters, family administration, philanthropy and other financial work.

Some family offices make direct investments in private companies.

Others mainly use outside investment funds.

Many do both.

A UK Family Investment Company, often shortened to FIC, can mean something more specific: a private company structure used by a family to hold investments and arrange ownership between generations.

So a UK FIC and a billionaire’s U.S. single-family office are not automatically the same thing.

Family Office vs Traditional Investment Fund

There is a basic difference.

A traditional investment fund normally manages money for outside investors. It has agreed rules, investment periods, fees and reporting requirements.

A single-family office mainly manages capital for one family.

That can change how it invests.

There may be less pressure to sell an asset within a fixed fund timetable. A family can hold an investment for many years if that fits its plan.

It can also invest in areas connected with family interests.

Builders Vision focuses heavily on food, energy and oceans. Bolt Ventures has strong sports exposure. Emerson Collective mixes investment work with social goals.

Different families. Different priorities.

Why Wealthy Families Create Investment Companies

Control is a big reason.

A family can keep investment decisions within its own organisation instead of placing every asset with outside managers.

Privacy matters too.

Many family offices disclose little about their holdings.

Long-term planning also helps. Capital can move between public shares, private companies, funds, property, charitable projects and other assets depending on how the family has structured the office.

Specialist staff may handle tax, accounting, legal work, investments and administration under one organisation.

Hillspire is a good example. It says its services include legal, finance, accounting, facilities, real estate, HR and IT.

What Do Family Investment Companies Invest In?

Almost anything can fit, depending on the office.

Private companies are common.

Public shares are common too.

Some buy property. Others invest through venture capital, private equity and hedge funds.

The eight firms here show how different those choices can be.

Hillspire has been highly active around AI and newer technologies.

Bezos Expeditions holds a long list of technology investments.

Emerson Collective mixes venture capital with social-impact work.

Raptor Group works across technology, sports, media, healthcare and other sectors.

Builders Vision concentrates on food, agriculture, energy and oceans.

Bolt Ventures has built a strong sports and media portfolio.

There isn’t one standard model.

Are Family Investment Companies Public?

Usually, no.

Most single-family offices are privately controlled.

That is why finding accurate AUM figures can be tough.

A company may disclose individual deals without telling the public how much money the whole office manages.

SEC filings can give part of the picture for some U.S. investment managers. Still, those filings may show only reportable securities.

Private stakes can remain unseen.

That is why this article does not fill gaps with estimates.

Which Family Investment Company Is the Most Active?

Based specifically on the 2025 disclosed direct-investment ranking from CNBC and FINTRX, Hillspire was the most active large U.S. single-family office covered by the list.

It made 15 direct investments.

Bezos Expeditions followed with 14.

Emerson Collective and Raptor Group each recorded 12.

That answer can change from year to year.

Deal activity is not the same as total wealth, investment performance or AUM.

A company making five huge investments could deploy more money than another office making 15 smaller deals.

The ranking measures activity.

Nothing more.

Are Family Offices Investing in AI?

Yes, several are.

Hillspire’s 2025 activity had a heavy AI component.

Bezos Expeditions’ official investment list includes AI-related companies such as Contextual AI, Figure, Generalist AI, Perplexity, Physical Intelligence and Skild AI.

Emerson Collective also invests in technology companies, though its stated venture areas stretch into healthcare, fintech, education, energy, work and media.

AI has clearly become one area where large private family offices are putting money.

But it is far from their only interest.

Can Ordinary Investors Invest in These Companies?

Usually not directly.

A single-family office exists primarily to manage one family’s capital.

It is not normally an investment product open to the public.

Some portfolio companies backed by these offices may later become publicly traded. A family office may also invest alongside traditional venture funds, private equity firms or other institutions.

But owning shares in a portfolio company is very different from investing directly in the family office itself.

Final Thought

The biggest point is simple.

Family capital has become an important source of private investment.

Hillspire led disclosed direct deal activity in 2025, with Bezos Expeditions close behind. Emerson Collective, Raptor Group and Builders Vision were also highly active, while Euclidean Capital, Thiel Capital and Bolt Ventures continued putting money into businesses that fit their own investment interests.

Still, deal count tells only one part of the story.

Family offices are private. AUM figures are often unavailable. Full portfolios can stay hidden.

So comparisons need care.

For readers looking at the top 8 family investment companies, disclosed deal activity gives a useful and checkable way to compare these firms without turning private estimates into facts.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the top 8 family investment companies?

Using publicly disclosed direct investment activity for 2025, the eight covered here are Hillspire, Bezos Expeditions, Emerson Collective, Raptor Group, Builders Vision, Euclidean Capital, Thiel Capital and Bolt Ventures.

What is the most active family investment company?

Hillspire ranked first in CNBC’s Family Office 15 based on FINTRX data, with 15 disclosed direct investments during 2025.

Who owns Hillspire?

Hillspire is an integrated family office serving Eric and Wendy Schmidt and their family.

Who owns Bezos Expeditions?

Bezos Expeditions is the private investment operation associated with Amazon founder Jeff Bezos.

How much does Builders Vision manage?

Builders Vision says its investment team manages more than $15 billion across seven portfolios.

Is Emerson Collective a family office?

Emerson Collective is an investment and philanthropy organisation founded by Laurene Powell Jobs. It uses venture investment alongside philanthropic work.

Is a family office the same as a private equity firm?

No. A family office mainly manages wealth and investments for a family. A private equity firm generally manages pooled capital from outside investors under specific funds.

Can anyone invest in a family office?

Usually not. Single-family offices are private organisations managing capital for a particular individual or family.

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