Prestigious Industry Award Recognizes Top Firms that Provide Alternative Assets for Clients
Freestone Capital Management (“Freestone”), a Seattle-based Registered Investment Advisor with $9.3B in AUM, was named a winner of a Wealth Exemplar Award by Wealth Solutions Report. The annual awards celebrate excellence in the wealth management industry, showcasing leading firms across multiple categories. Freestone is an industry leader among wealth management firms for its unique delivery of alternative investment vehicles to its high-net worth clients. Freestone was recognized as Alternative Investment Firm of the Year, an award given to the top three firms that provide a platform for helping financial advisors align alternative assets with their retail investor clients.
Gary Furukawa, Freestone’s Founder and Chief Investment Officer said, “We are proud to be recognized as one of the leading Alternative Investment Firms by Wealth Solutions Report. When I founded Freestone, I wanted to invest clients’ money in the same way I invest my own. Philosophically, not much has changed – we’ve always focused on providing off-the-beaten path solutions for private clients and families to grow and protect their wealth, with special attention to taxes and inflation. What has changed significantly over the years is Freestone’s focus on investing directly in the underlying assets instead of using a fund of funds format or investing in another firm’s fund. This requires an elevated skill set and is more difficult to execute, however the reward for clients is much lower costs and more operational control over outcomes. I want to extend my deep gratitude to Freestone’s clients, to our client advisors, and to the Freestone investment team. Without their partnership, none of this would have been possible.”
Founded in 1999, Freestone is an independent and employee-owned, fee-only wealth advisory and asset management firm that has grown from $250 million to over $9.3 billion in AUM. The firm’s growth strategy involves attracting, recruiting, investing in, and empowering the next generation of advisors with the tools and information they need to grow in their careers and thrive, including a long history of investing in asset classes that are uncorrelated to the public markets. Freestone has invested across asset classes, across capital structures, and across the liquidity spectrum. Current private funds in the market include strategies centered around Kentucky bourbon, litigation finance, affordable housing, and manufactured housing communities, among others.
“As we celebrate our 25th Anniversary this year, it’s incredible to see our track record in alternative investments extend back for more than two decades. We look forward to 2024 and hope to achieve a great year for our funds and for our clients,” Furukawa concluded. “I cannot wait to work with our amazing team to continue to provide investment solutions for our clients.”
Important Disclosures: For the second year, Wealth Solutions Report (“WSR”) presented a series of invitation-only awards to celebrate excellence in the wealth management industry – the WSR Wealth Exemplar Awards. Applicants were asked to submit responses to a questionnaire which included providing information regarding their assets, client count, recent initiatives and achievements. WSR chose winners through internal discussions among WSR leadership and staff. Alternative Investments Firm of the Year goes to the top three firms that provide a platform for helping financial advisors align alternative assets with their retail investor clients. The award was issued on January 29, 2024 covering a time period as of September 30, 2023. WSR is a digital media company that provides insight, analysis, and commentary on issues shaping the wealth management industry. No compensation was provided directly or indirectly by the adviser in connection with obtaining or using this award.