Thomas Ruggie, ChFC®, CFP® Discusses the Role of Direct Investment Opportunities in the AI Revolution in Forbes.com Article

WINTER PARK, Fla., Dec. 23, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Direct investment opportunities are shaping the next phase of the artificial intelligence revolution and redefining access to one of the most transformative technologies of our time, according to a recent article published on Forbes.com by Thomas Ruggie, ChFC®, CFP®, founder and CEO of Destiny Family Office and Destiny Wealth Partners.

In the article, titled “The Role of Direct Investment Opportunities in the AI Revolution,” Ruggie explores why private, direct investments in AI companies are increasingly appealing to family offices, institutional investors, and high-net-worth individuals seeking exposure beyond public markets and broad-based technology funds.

Published on Forbes.com, the article seeks to answer questions such as:

• What are the key benefits of direct investment opportunities in AI compared to traditional public market investments?
• How can investors balance the risks and rewards when participating in direct AI company investments?
• In what ways are secondary transactions and syndicated deals changing access to private AI investment opportunities?
• Why might family offices and ultra-high-net-worth investors favor direct AI investments over ETFs or public equities?
• What structural and strategic considerations should investors keep in mind when constructing direct AI investment deals?

Ruggie explains that while public equities offer familiarity and liquidity, they often capture AI value only after much of the exponential growth has already occurred. Direct investments, by contrast, can provide earlier access to innovation, greater alignment with company leadership, and the potential for outsized returns, albeit with increased complexity and risk.

The article also highlights how evolving deal structures, including syndicated investments and secondary transactions, are expanding access to private AI opportunities that were once reserved for a narrow group of venture capital firms. These mechanisms, Ruggie notes, are helping investors participate in the AI ecosystem without committing to full-scale venture funds or sacrificing diversification.

Drawing on his experience advising ultra-high-net-worth families, Ruggie emphasizes the importance of disciplined underwriting, rigorous due diligence, and thoughtful portfolio construction when evaluating AI investments. He cautions that enthusiasm for the technology must be balanced with realistic assessments of execution risk, valuation, liquidity constraints, and long-term capital commitments.

“AI is not just a technological shift, it’s a capital allocation shift,” Ruggie writes, noting that investors who understand how to structure and pace direct investments may be better positioned to benefit from the sector’s growth while managing downside risk.

The article also addresses why family offices are well suited for direct AI investing, given their longer time horizons, flexibility, and ability to engage strategically with founders and management teams. As AI continues to reshape industries ranging from healthcare to finance to manufacturing, Ruggie argues that private capital will play a critical role in determining which innovations successfully scale.

Ultimately, the piece underscores a broader theme: as AI matures, investors must move beyond headlines and public-market proxies and develop intentional strategies for accessing innovation at its source. Direct investment opportunities, when approached with discipline and expertise, may serve as a powerful complement to traditional portfolios in the AI-driven economy.

About Destiny Family Office
Destiny Family Office is a multi-family office and is part of Destiny Wealth Partners, an independent, SEC-registered investment advisor with more than $1.5 billion in assets under management. In addition to its integrated family office services, the firm has put a strong emphasis on providing access to alternative and direct investment opportunities for Qualified Purchasers. Founded by Thomas H. Ruggie, ChFC®, CFP®, InvestmentNews 2025 Advisor of the Year for Alternative Investments, Destiny Wealth Partners has been recognized in 2025 by Forbes/Shook Research as one of America’s Top RIA Firms, in 2025 by InvestmentNews as RIA Team of the Year, and Ruggie has been named as one of Barron’s Top 1200 Financial Advisors 13 times, most recently in 2025. Click for additional award criteria and methodology.

Investment advisory services offered through Destiny Wealth Partners, LLC, an SEC Registered Investment Advisor. Destiny Wealth Partners also conducts business under the name Destiny Family Office. Rankings and/or recognition by unaffiliated rating services and/or publications should not be construed by a client or prospective client as a guarantee that he/she will experience a certain level of results if Destiny Wealth Partners or its firms are engaged, or continue to be engaged, to provide investment advisory services, nor should it be construed as a current or past endorsement of Destiny Wealth Partners or Destiny Family Office by any of its clients.

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SOURCE Thomas Ruggie