Liquidity: Magic Word and Magic Cure in Succession Planning
When a wealthy entrepreneur passes away, cash becomes king: heirs want prompt payouts, the tax office calls in inheritance duties, and the company must stay solvent. Newly established in Switzerland, Ari Financial Group targets this exacting, high-net-worth clientele with flexible, liquidity-focused insurance solutions and plans to expand to Asia.
FINMA-licensed Ari Financial Group, a boutique provider of life-insurance and succession-planning solutions for ultra-wealthy families, has quietly opened a branch on Zurich’s Gartenstrasse. For now, the space feels spacious: just three people occupy the desks, Head of Business Development Rocío Zapatero, Managing Partner Francesco Oliveti, and one colleague.
«Zurich is only the starting point,» Oliveti tells finews.ch. «We’re hiring a Geneva-based specialist next, so every Swiss language region is covered.»
Swiss Launchpad, Asian Horizon
Zapatero, whose résumé spans Banco Santander and Telefónica, calls Switzerland «the springboard for our expansion beyond the Americas.» After Zurich and a new office in Dubai, the Miami-headquartered firm (founded in 2008) has Asia in its sights for a third hub.
Beyond Standard Policies
Life insurance may sound vanilla, yet Ari targets scenarios too complex for off-the-shelf products. «We don’t sell retail policies,» Oliveti says. «One client lives in Asia, books assets in Switzerland, and still needs US-compliant cover. That mix is our sweet spot.»
Because Ari is independent, it can «raise the conversation above pure banking,» he adds, cooperating with banks without being constrained by them.
The twin goals:
- Preserve wealth
- Transfer it to heirs without disruption
That means keeping the operating company afloat and avoiding family feuds that can erupt when estates are illiquid.
Liquidity as a Stand-Alone Asset Class
The firm’s flagship structure is a «permanent» life policy – coverage to age 120 – with a meaningful cash-surrender value. Funded through premium financing, the policy is pledged to a bank that advances a loan, pays the premiums, and charges interest.
- During life, the entrepreneur can tap the credit line as needed.
- On death, the insurance proceeds repay the loan and leave heirs with ready cash, settling taxes, satisfying beneficiaries, and keeping the business running.
«It always comes down to liquidity,» Oliveti says. «Our structure turns insurance into a new asset class you can borrow against.»
Positive arbitrage, policy growth outpacing loan costs, can multiply coverage over time. Clients often borrow in francs to exploit low rates, even when the policy itself is in U.S. dollars, and Ari says no lender has ever had to liquidate collateral.
Peace of Mind and Family Peace
Quick cash is the shock absorber that prevents forced sales and public squabbles. By ensuring liquidity exactly when it is most needed, Ari Financial Group aims to keep both the business and the family legacy intact as it expands from its new Swiss bridgehead to the rest of the world.
