Around the time of Michael Jackson’s death I found myself thinking about Narcissism and the way wealth brings an intensity that can lead to celebrity drama. Narcissism is a psychological term that comes from a character in greek mythology. Punished for too much self love, Narcissus is condemned to fall in love with his own [...]
Archive for the ‘Uncategorized’ Category
Wealth, Narcissism and Michael Jackson
Posted in Uncategorized, tagged Acquired Situational Narcissism, ASN, Celebrity, Robert B. Millman, wealth and narcissism on July 26, 2009 | Leave a Comment »
The Business of Family and Vice Versa
Posted in Uncategorized, tagged Family Agreements, Family Harmony on June 20, 2009 | Leave a Comment »
At the end of a year long consultation with a family business, an heir expressed, “Isn’t it ironic our family had to be more business-like, and our business more like a family? What I mean is, our family had to organize and our business had to build trust.” The unique challenge of a family business [...]
Alcohol, Drugs and Addiction
Posted in Uncategorized, tagged addiction and wealth, alcohol drugs and affluence on June 12, 2009 | Leave a Comment »
The latin root of the word addiction, “addicere,” means a slave to a master. Addiction to alcohol and drugs is pervasive in our society, impacting all socioeconomic levels. Wealthy families are not exempt. In specific ways, wealth can complicate the recovery process. Through story, I will illustrate the concept of enabling behavior which supports the [...]
Emotional Money
Posted in Uncategorized, tagged Emotional Money, Empathy, Gary Shunk on June 5, 2009 | Leave a Comment »
I am attending a conference near Washington, DC hosted by the National Association of Personal Financial Advisors(NAPFA). I spoke earlier today. My topic: “Emotional Money.” Money is paper. That paper is a highly charged and animated entity. We animate it with our personal and collective imagination. Money carries hopes, dreams, fantasies, freedom, power. Money [...]
Love, Power and Money
Posted in Uncategorized, tagged Gary Shunk, Love, Power and Money on May 29, 2009 | Leave a Comment »
“Where love reigns, there is no will to power: and where power predominates, there love is lacking. The one is the shadow of the other.” C. G. Jung, CW 7 I interpret Jung as saying, love is the opposite of power, and visa versa. Love has its roots in trust, and the interest in and [...]
Trust
Posted in Uncategorized on May 23, 2009 | Leave a Comment »
Several months ago I was asked to speak at a family office conference on trust. Since that time, I have been asked to speak on this subject at other conferences. We often take something for granted until we lose it. Many wealth holders’ trust in their advisors, bankers, attorneys, family office executives and wealth [...]
Legacy and Succession Planning
Posted in Uncategorized, tagged Legacy, Succession Planning on May 7, 2009 | Leave a Comment »
The intention of Succession Planning is to prepare the next generation to assume leadership and responsibility of family wealth and family business ventures. It is also a positive confrontation of the current leading generation, regarding the past, and what legacy was created to be carried forward. Many families avoid this process for a variety [...]
The Burden of Wealth
Posted in Uncategorized, tagged Burden of Wealth on May 2, 2009 | Leave a Comment »
Over the past year I wrote a few articles for Private Wealth magazine with my co-writer Megan Wells. In researching one article I interviewed a man who runs his family office, and several of his families business ventures. I was exploring the idea of wealth as a “vulnerability,” when he said, “I find my wealth [...]
Wealth is a Vulnerability
Posted in Uncategorized, tagged Gary Shunk, Wealth and Vulnerability on April 24, 2009 | Leave a Comment »
In working with wealthy clients for nearly 20 years, I have come to see wealth in many ways. One: wealth is a vulnerability. Our culture views wealth as strength, power, freedom. Wealth holders surely experience those things. In addition, they may wander into a social gathering, party, or business function and wonder: “Do they [...]
The Inner Life of Family Wealth
Posted in Uncategorized on April 21, 2009 | Leave a Comment »
I launched this blog to be of service to families of wealth and the advisors who serve them. Psychology deals with the inner life. When someone owns significant financial assets, that wealth has an impact on the personality of the wealth holder. My work, since 1992, has been assisting wealth holders, wealth creators, and heirs [...]
