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"Chris is the very definition of integrity, emotional intelligence and thoughtfulness."
- David Rynecki, Founder and CEO – Blue Heron Research Partners
98.5% of Wealthy families from 1935 went broke. Don't Let history repeat itself.
New book reveals the time-tested principles that helped the remaining 1.5% preserve and grow multi-generational wealth, and why true peace of mind, not portfolio returns, is the real measure of success.
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There should be 60,000 billionaire families in America today.
There are 900.
98.5% lost everything.
Not from market crashes. Not from bad luck. Not from lack of effort.
They lost it because wealth without structure is just temporary income.
After 40 years managing over $1 billion, I can tell you what led to their financial demise.
Now, for the first time, I'm pulling back the curtain inside my new book.
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Get Big Clients With Tiny Books
The new mechanics of earning more and working less.
$67 $21 EARLY BIRD
WARNING: Handle with caution.
The author and publisher disclaim any liability for causing you to question everything you thought you knew about accumulating and preserving wealth. Use of these methods and strategies is at your own risk.
Here's what I've learned from advising the very wealthy.
October 19, 1987. Black Monday. I'm 25, watching the Dow crater 22.7% in six hours.
Blue-chip stocks were trading 30-50% below what's blinking on our screens. Companies are vaporizing. Fortunes built over generations were gone before lunch. In Miami, a client walks into his Merrill Lynch office, shoots two employees, then himself.
But here is what I learned.
Not everyone lost that day. Some clients barely flinched. Same crash. Same chaos. Completely different outcomes.
Since then, I've managed $1 billion+ through four more "once-in-a-lifetime" disasters, founded and built Citi Smith Barney's Private Wealth Management to be the industry's best UHNW platform, and advised families with generational fortunes.
This book reveals how to accumulate and preserve wealth across generations, and why peace of mind, not money, is the real prize.
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What do the families who preserve wealth for 100+ years have in common?
I spent decades looking for their secret advantage, the special strategy, the insider connections, the sophisticated techniques. What I found shocked me. These families weren't doing MORE. They were doing LESS. You'll never catch them:
Chasing the latest investment fad
Constantly rebalancing portfolios
Worrying about market timing
Instead, they focus on three things:
1. The "Monthly Check" Strategy: Not stocks they hope will go up. Not crypto they pray will go to the moon. Real businesses. Dividend-paying companies. Income-producing real estate. Assets that send checks whether the market goes up, down, or sideways.
2. The Permanent Loss Rule: Wall Street defines risk as "volatility", how much your account bounces around. Wealthy families define risk as "permanent loss of capital", money you can never get back. That's why they don't diversify into 47 different asset classes. They prefer quality and hold for decades.
The Transition Trap: The biggest threat to generational wealth isn't a market crash. It's the aging patriarch who won't turn over the keys. It is the entitled heir who wasn't prepared. The prenup conversation that should have taken place. The family trust that pits siblings against each other.
Here's what this means for you: You don't need to beat the market to achieve financial independence. You need to structure wealth to survive human nature, emotions, family dynamics, and the inevitable transitions that come with ambition, ambivalence, and affluence.
This book shows you how.
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Read this book immediately if:
You have $500K+ in investable assets and want to ensure it lasts
You're approaching retirement and terrified of running out of money
You're a business owner planning an exit in the next 5 years
You've received or will receive significant inheritance
You have aging parents and don't know how to discuss finances
You have children who will inherit wealth (and want them prepared, not entitled)
You've built wealth but lose sleep worrying about losing it
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The conversations are coming whether you're ready or not.
Your daughter will get engaged, with or without your prenup framework. Your aging father will lose his keys, with or without your transition plan.
The market could crash again, with or without your understanding of permanent loss. Your children will inherit your wealth, with or without proper preparation.
The only question is: Will you be ready?
This book takes just 3 hours to read. The conversations that could destroy your family's ability to accumulate and preserve wealth are happening this month.
Can you afford to wait?
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Whether you are managing generational wealth or building it, inside you'll discover...
The "Sacred Art of Listening" (Chapter 3) and why it may be your most powerful wealth preservation tool, especially during transitions.
The "Inactive Investing" philosophy that beats 85% of active traders (Chapter 8) without watching CNBC, reading earnings reports, or timing the market.
How to structure assets by purpose and time horizon using the Liquidity → Lifestyle → Legacy framework (Chapter 9) so you always know which bucket to tap and which to protect.
The Involve → Inform → Entrust framework for preparing heirs (Chapter 12) including the specific age milestones when each conversation should happen.
The "dignity test" that tells you when it's time to turn over financial control (Chapter 14) and the exact three-stage handoff process that prevents family warfare.
Why rebalancing during a crash often locks in permanent losses you'll never recover (Chapter 15) and what to do instead when your advisor calls with "opportunities"
The six-word phrase that defuses prenup tension before it starts (Chapter 18) and why starting the conversation too early is just as dangerous as starting it too late.
But most importantly:
You'll learn why managing wealth has always been more than managing money. And why, when your values are clear, decision-making becomes easy.
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What the industry’s most trusted voices are saying...
Limited first printing.
Only 500 numbered hardcover copies in this first printing.
After they sell out: eBook only until 2026.
As of Sunday, October 26, 2025 we have limited stock remaining at early bird pricing.
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Nothing has the ability to accumulate and preserve generational wealth like a proven framework.
This is a book about structure, not speculation.
Nothing creates financial peace of mind like knowing you have done all you can and your wealth is structured correctly.
Nothing prepares the next generation like gradual involvement and education.
Nothing reduces family conflict like clear communication and proper documentation.
Nothing protects capital quite like understanding the difference between risk and volatility.
Whether your goal is to retire with confidence, transfer wealth to children, fund philanthropy, or simply sleep well at night knowing everything is handled correctly , having a proven framework can give you the clarity you deserve, differentiate you from the 98.5% who fail, and enable you to build a legacy around values, not just money.
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The rock solid 'better questions' guarantee.
Many advisors buy this book for their own clients because it elevates the conversation. If it doesn't elevate yours, you shouldn't pay.
Read this whole book and if you don't find yourself asking BETTER questions of your financial advisor after reading it, I'll refund your money.
Success stories.
FAQs
Q: Is this book only for people with $25M+?
A: Not at all. While Chris's clients typically have $25M+, the principles apply to anyone serious about preserving and growing wealth. If you have $500K+ in investable assets (or aspire to), you'll find tremendous value here.
Q: I already have a financial advisor. Will this book conflict with their advice?
A: Actually, it will help you become a better client and get more value from your advisor. Many advisors have purchased copies for their own clients because it elevates the conversation and creates better outcomes.
Q: How is this different from other investment books?
A: Most investment books focus on "beating the market" or getting rich quick. This book focuses on the harder (and more important) challenge: keeping wealth once you have it. It's also the only book written by someone who managed over $1 billion for ultra-wealthy families.
Q: Will this work for my specific situation?
A: The book includes case studies across dozens of family situations—business owners, inheritors, sudden wealth recipients, multigenerational families, blended families, and more. You'll find yourself in these pages.
Q: What if I'm already wealthy and just want to avoid mistakes?
A: Perfect. Chapter 10 alone ("Why Aren't More People Rich?") could save you millions by helping you avoid the behavioral mistakes that destroyed 98.5% of wealthy families.
Q: How long will it take to read?
A: Most readers finish in 3-4 hours. But you'll reference it for years.
Meet the Author
Christopher Poch
Christopher Poch is the Founder & CEO of Promethium Advisors, a private wealth management firm based in Bethesda, Maryland.
With over 40 years of experience advising ultra-high-net-worth families, Chris has led divisions at Smith Barney, Citigroup, Bessemer Trust, and Morgan Stanley. He is widely regarded as an authority in wealth advisory and has been featured in publications including The Wall Street Journal, Barron’s, and The Financial Times.
Money & Meaning is his second book and his most personal work to date.
You get to choose which side you're on.
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In 1935, there were approximately 60,000 families wealthy enough to create dynasties, today's equivalent of a billionaire status.
By 2025, only around 900 billionaires exist in the US. That means 59,100 families lost their financial standing. They lost it for many reasons, but perhaps the most important was:
From lack of structure.
This book won't make you richer. It will make you wiser. It won't promise "financial freedom in 5 years." It will show you how to preserve what you've spent a lifetime building. It won't give you hot stock tips or crypto secrets. It will give you frameworks that have protected wealth for centuries.
And it will give you something money can't buy:
✓ The confidence that comes from knowing your wealth is structured correctly
✓ The peace that comes from knowing your family is prepared
✓ The clarity that comes from knowing exactly what to do when the next crisis hits
Money is not the main point. Peace of mind is.
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Investment advisory services are offered through Promethium Advisors, LLC, a registered investment advisor with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Registration does not imply any level of skill or training. This material is intended for informational purposes only. It should not be construed as legal or tax advice and is not intended to replace the advice of a qualified attorney or tax advisor. This information is not an offer or a solicitation to buy or sell securities. The information contained may have been compiled from third-party sources and is believed to be reliable.
In regard to this testimonial and/or endorsement for Promethium; (i) the individuals providing the testimonial and/or endorsement may be current clients; (ii) the individuals have not been compensated; and (iii) this does not pose any material conflicts of interest on the part of the person giving the testimonial and/or endorsement resulting from the adviser's relationship with such person.
