What does the future of wealth look like in a world where technological developments can transform entire industries within a very short time, geopolitical risks are reshaping markets and trillions are being transferred between generations? More than 200 guests gathered at the Park Hyatt Zurich for the Forbes Swiss Future of Wealth Summit 2026 to explore these questions and examine the future of capital, power and responsibility from different perspectives.

Following a welcome by Editor-in-Chief Klaus Fiala and a musical opening by Siena Miller, mezzo-soprano and ensemble member at the Opernhaus Zürich, Nico Lange, Founder & Director of the IRIS Institute for Risk Analysis and International Security, opened the programme with a conversation on “The New Map of Power”. Lange made it clear that Europe must not merely observe geopolitical developments, but actively help shape them: “If we do not have the courage to act, we will be confronted with facts created by others.” The discussion focused on Europe’s strategic agency, the war in Ukraine, the role of the US and China, and the question of how economic and political power will interact in the future.

In the following conversation with Aurelia Frick, former Foreign Minister of Liechtenstein and Deputy CEO as well as Chief Business Development Officer at financial services provider smzh AG, the role of geopolitics as a new market risk was discussed. No longer just background noise, its consequences have become part of many people’s economic reality – and therefore also part of the questions they need to ask when thinking about their financial future. “In a world full of information, trust becomes the decisive currency,” Frick said. Precisely for this reason, orientation, a long-term perspective and advisory services that bring together markets, politics and individual life circumstances are becoming increasingly important.

How quickly innovation can redefine entire markets became clear in the following conversation, “DENZA: The Velocity of Innovation”, with Dimitris Chanazoglou, Country Manager BYD & DENZA Switzerland. Using new mobility and technology concepts as an example, the discussion showed that speed has become a decisive competitive factor. Companies that want to shape global markets today must not only develop innovative ideas, but also scale and position them internationally within a short period of time. “The future belongs to those who are willing to leave their comfort zone,” Chanazoglou said, adding: “It is not only about doing things right. What matters is doing the right things.”

A look at the future of investing followed with Philippe A. Naegeli, Co-Founder & CEO of GenTwo, in the interview “Assetization: Inside the Trillion-Dollar Investing Revolution”. The focus was on the increasing structuring and investability of new asset classes. Naegeli summed up the development as follows: “Assetization means nothing less than democratizing access to assets.”

After a short break, the panel “A Quantum Leap In Capital” focused on the intersection of technology and capital. Thomas Taroni, Executive Chairman at Phoenix Technologies, and Philipp Hannemann, Founder and CEO of Quantagonia as well as Chief Growth Officer at Strangeworks, discussed how artificial intelligence, quantum computing and cloud infrastructures could change calculations, optimization processes and security issues in the future.

With James Bushnell, Vice President, Investor Relations & Financial Communications at Philip Morris International, the topic “Delivering Long-Term Value To Shareholders” then shifted the focus to how companies in controversial or highly regulated industries can explain and shape long-term value creation. Bushnell spoke about the transformation of Philip Morris International, the role of research and development, and the importance of trust in investor communications. One thing became clear: long-term value is not created solely by continuing existing business models, but also by being willing to develop them further. “Without R&D, there is no future cash flow.”

That wealth cannot only be understood in financial terms was demonstrated in the conversation “Building Mental Wealth” with Fabian Mächler, Co-Founder of the insurtech grape. The discussion centred on why mental health should no longer be seen merely as an individual issue, but also as a strategic factor for companies. Mächler captured this shift in perspective: “People are one of the most important value creators in a company. Yet their wellbeing is often not measured like a strategic asset.” Mental Wealth therefore describes an approach that integrates both mental and physical health more strongly into strategic corporate management. Especially in times of high pressure to change, technological acceleration and growing complexity, it is becoming crucial for companies to identify where stress arises at an early stage – and to create conditions in which people can remain healthy and productive in the long term.

The final panel, “The Great Wealth Transfer: Understanding The Next Generation of Investors”, addressed one of the defining issues of the coming decades. Larissa Jäger, Co-CEO at Forma Futura Invest, Maximilian Rofagha, Founder of Finimize and advisor at KKR, and Paul Ostwald, Founder of morningcrunch, talked about how the next generations of investors think, make decisions and deploy capital.

The discussion made clear that the coming wealth transfer is about far more than the passing on of capital. With the next generation of investors, expectations, information habits and decision-making processes are changing as well. Rofagha summed up this shift: “They do not just want to know what happened. They ask: What does this mean for me?” Financial knowledge today is no longer shaped only by traditional advisory services or long research reports, but increasingly by digital platforms, communities, social media and AI-supported tools. A differentiated picture also emerged with regard to sustainable investing. “It is no longer just about sustainable intentions, but about measurable impact,” said Jäger. While younger investors continue to incorporate values, impact and responsibility into their decisions, they are also asking more critical and nuanced questions. Ostwald pointed to the growing role of financial education and digital access: “Power to the retail investor: platforms, software and education can empower investors to make better decisions.” The panel thus showed that the wealth transfer is not only a question of capital, but also one of knowledge, access and values.

The Forbes Future of Wealth Summit 2026 showed that the future of wealth will not be determined solely by how capital is invested or passed on. It will take shape where a wide range of factors – technology, geopolitics, entrepreneurship, generational change and social responsibility – intersect, and where people are willing to understand wealth not only as ownership, but also as a task of shaping the future.

Photos: Sören Funk