寄生的生意 如何用富豪的情報賺錢
For most of us, fascination with the ultra-wealthy is a pastime. To the sellers of yachts, mansions and jewelry, as well as to fundraisers and portfolio managers, the finding, tracking and pitching of the uber rich is serious business.
Wealth-X, a digital platform for identifying UHNW (ultra high net worth) individuals, two weeks ago announced a “multimillion dollar” investment from the $8 billion Insight Venture Partners fund, a proof point of growth.
致力於發現超級富豪的數字平臺Wealth-X在兩週前宣佈，坐擁80億美元的風投公司Insight Venture Partners爲其提供了“數百萬美元”的投資，這充分說明Wealth-X增長強勁。The platform’s database so far includes more than 100,000 profiles spanning the globe, each representing a net worth believed to be more than $30 million, based on publicly available information. This collection represents a half or less of the world’s total of such individuals; and it’s a number that keeps growing.
迄今爲止，Wealth-X的數據庫包含全球各地超過10萬名富豪的檔案資料，根據可獲得的公開信息，其中每個人的資產淨值據信都在3,000萬美元以上。全球這類超級富豪中，有差不多半數被收錄在這個數據庫中，而這一數字還在持續增長。
Co-founded by Mykolas Rambus and David Friedman, Wealth-X competes with Wealth Insight, Wealth Engine, another digital venture, as well as Relationship Science. Employing a staff of more than 200 in 13 offices, Wealth-X builds profiles and dossiers of individuals.
Wealth-X是由麥克拉斯o蘭巴斯和大衛o弗裏德曼共同創立的，其競爭對手包括金融服務提供商Wealth Insight、另一家數碼企業Wealth Engine、以及商業決策公司Relationship Science。該公司的13個辦事處僱有200多名員工，爲超級富豪建立檔案和資料。A year’s subscription to the service costs $18,000 and includes the services of Wealth-X employees, who will sketch the interlocking relationships among the ultra wealthy and fellow members of corporate and philanthropic boards. The company’s subscriber list currently numbers more than 300.
這項服務的年訂閱費爲1.8萬美元，Wealth-X還會爲客戶勾勒超級富豪與其所在公司和慈善機構董事會的其他成員之間的關係網。目前已有超過300人訂購了這項服務。So-called “social mapping” could snag an introduction to, say, a reclusive oil wildcatter who serves on the same symphony board as a friend, client or acquaintance of a Wealth-X subscriber.
這種所謂的“社交地圖”可以讓Wealth-X用戶抓住機會，結識身處同一個交響樂團董事會的另一位超級富豪，比如說一位低調的石油大亨，將其發展成爲自己的朋友、客戶或是熟人。“We’re used by eight of 10 of the largest global banks, most Ivy League schools, every yacht manufacturer and several dozen high-end retailers,” said Rambus, speaking from a conference on wealth in Paris. “We’re starting to see an increasing number of casinos become interested in us.”
在巴黎的一場財富會議上，蘭巴斯表示：“我們的客戶包括全球十大銀行中的八家，還有大部分常春藤學校，所有的遊艇製造商和幾十家高端零售商。我們還發現，越來越多的賭場也對我們的服務很感興趣。”Speaking of Wealth-X’s own growth strategy Rambus said it is driven by “five global wealth related trends—Wall Street rebalancing, non-profit urgency, luxury brand segmentation, massive wealth transfer, and global wealth creation – that are playing directly into our hands.”
談到Wealth-X自身的發展戰略時，蘭巴斯表示，公司戰略的推動因素是“與Wealth-X直接相關的全球財富五大趨勢——華爾街的再平衡、非營利事業的緊迫性、奢侈品牌的細分、財富的大規模轉移和全球財富的創造。”Rambus, a native Detroiter, is a management alumnus of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Five years ago, while employed at Forbes magazine, he was trying to persuade Forbes to expand, digitize and commercialize its Forbes 400 list of the world’s wealthiest people.
蘭巴斯是底特律人，畢業於麻省理工學院（Massachusetts Institute of Technology），獲得管理學學位。五年前任職於福布斯（Forbes）雜誌時，他試圖說服《福布斯》擴充其全球400富豪榜(Forbes 400)，將其轉型爲數字化產品。“We had lots of meetings and discussions but never could quite come up with a decision and an execution plan,” he said.
蘭巴斯說：“我們多次開會，進行了大量討論，但沒有做出什麼決定或執行計劃。”Rambus resigned from Forbes and came up with his own plan, in collaboration with Friedman, whom he met socially.
後來蘭巴斯離開了《福布斯》，攜手他在社交場合結識的弗裏德曼一起推行自己的計劃。Forbes, in the meantime, has created a global billionaires list, numbering 1,645, including 268 new members in the latest year. Rambus thinks the number is poised to double at least in the next decade or so, creating tremendous opportunities for organizations that sell luxury items, as well as colleges, foundations and other institutions.
與此同時，《福布斯》在2014年建立了一份全球身家10億美元以上的富豪榜單，上榜人數達到1,645人，其中包含268名新入榜者。蘭巴斯認爲，在接下來的十年中，富豪榜人數將至少翻倍，這將爲奢侈品公司、大學、基金會和其他機構提供巨大的機遇。“For organizations in this ultra wealthy space, the opportunities are tremendous. We are still at the beginning of a massive wealth creation wave,” he said. “The broader base of UHNW individuals is set to expand as well.”
蘭巴斯表示：“對致力於爲這個超級富豪羣體服務的機構來說，機遇是巨大的。我們仍然處於大規模財富創造浪潮的初期。更廣泛的高淨值羣體也會持續擴張。”Some UHNWs no doubt like to fly below the radar and aren’t pleased that it’s easier than ever to lead solicitors and marketers to them. Some have contacted Wealth-X to let them know the database’s info is spot on – and a few have furnished fresh information.
毫無疑問，對律師和營銷商能以這樣前所未有的方式輕鬆地找到他們，某些喜歡隱藏在公衆視線外的超級富豪並不樂意。而另一些已經聯繫Wealth-X，告訴他們數據庫的內容無誤——有幾個超級富豪還提供了最新信息。（財富中文網）
