Rich Chinese splashing out on luxury have yet to invest big in Singapore
TUE, APR 11, 2023 - 08:02 AMWHEN ultra-wealthy Chinese entrepreneurs started moving to Singapore en masse in 2019, investment firms were salivating at the chance to manage billions in new money. So far, it hasn’t quite happened.
Hedge funds, banks and private equity firms say few of their recent meetings with Chinese tycoons in the city-state have brought in business beyond basic custodian deals, even as the new arrivals spend lavishly on mansions, luxury cars and golf club memberships.
A senior executive at one of Singapore’s largest hedge funds described it as one “big zero”. Another money manager — among the more than 10 interviewed — said none of the handful of inquiries has resulted in fresh funds to manage. They declined to be identified discussing private matters.
Investors “are not coming with a bunch of cash in suitcases”, said Emmanuel Pitsilis, co-head of Asia-Pacific at Partners Capital Investment Group, adding that the new arrivals already have global investments in place so any cash flowing into the country isn’t automatically being deployed to local capital markets.
The relative pittance of new business from super wealthy Chinese emigres is becoming a hot-button topic and possible prelude to social discord as lawmakers seek answers from the government. When tax exemption programmes were changed to attract family offices, part of the pitch was that the new money would boost investments and spark a wave of employment. Instead, Singapore is mostly seeing higher prices for everything from condos to cars.
To be sure, plenty of cash is coming in and family office assets at the city’s banks are on the rise. But money managers say very little of that cash is being invested in funds or private equity firms that would generate the hefty fees needed to create a flood of jobs.
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