Introduction
Sophisticated families, founders and family offices often reach
the same fork in the road. Trusts on one side, Foundations on the
other. Both guard assets, shape succession and sustain a legacy.
They grow from different legal soils and behave differently when
tested across borders, banks and generations.
Trusts and Foundations at a glance
At its core, a trust is a legal relationship. A trustee holds
title to assets for beneficiaries and is bound by fiduciary duties
set by a trust instrument.
A foundation is a separate legal person. It owns property in its
own name, it contracts in its own name, and it is run by a council
with possible oversight by a guardian. These distinctions drive
everything from control dynamics to recognition, privacy and
enforcement.
