Joe Crome, CAP is Head of Business Development and the CAF American Donor Fund at Charities Aid Foundation (CAF).
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For the last few years, much of the conversation in wealth management has focused on the Great Wealth Transfer. Yet there is another wealth event on the horizon that may prove just as significant and perhaps arrive even faster: the potential wave of liquidity events and IPOs from the world’s leading artificial intelligence companies.
As some of the sector’s largest businesses go public, advisers could find themselves supporting a completely different type of client. Not serial entrepreneurs in their 60s, nor families navigating generational succession, but highly technical employees in their 30s who have suddenly acquired life-changing wealth and have little prior experience of wealth planning.
At my organization, we are already beginning to see this emerge. Conversations with individuals connected to some of the leading AI firms suggest that many have never previously needed professional advice. They may be rich on paper but relatively cash-poor. They are often deeply knowledgeable in their own fields, yet unfamiliar with wealth management, tax planning and philanthropy. And perhaps most surprisingly of all, many are actively seeking advice from humans rather than technology. As one recent client openly admitted, they had never had significant wealth before and had “no idea” how to approach managing it or giving it.
This creates both a challenge and an opportunity for the advisory sector. The traditional private wealth model assumes clients have spent years engaging with advisers, building portfolios, planning estates and developing long-term financial strategies. Many AI employees will arrive with a very different set of needs. They may require education before advice, understanding the basic building blocks of tax, governance, philanthropy and impact. Many will also have international lives and careers, creating complex cross-border planning considerations.
London is likely to be particularly interesting in this respect. Many leading AI firms operating in London recruit from a highly international talent pool, and it is our experience that a number of employees working in the U.K. offices of leading AI firms are internationally mobile and are dual taxpayers with connections to multiple jurisdictions. Advisers capable of navigating both wealth planning and cross-border philanthropy may therefore be particularly well positioned.
An IPO can be a defining financial milestone. For many founders, early employees and investors, it is also a moment to think about the impact they want their wealth to have. There are already strong indications that the culture within parts of the AI sector is receptive to charitable giving. For example, the seven cofounders of Anthropic have publicly committed to giving away 80% of their wealth. Based on Forbes estimates that each founder was worth around $3.7 billion in late 2025, the pledge could amount to more than $20 billion overall. Meanwhile, the nonprofit foundation that controls OpenAI holds a 26% interest in the company, making it one of the largest nonprofit organizations in the United States.
Just as importantly, many employees have developed their careers within organizations where discussions around social impact, ethics and purpose are commonplace. In contrast to previous technology booms, this time around there appears to be a stronger expectation that wealth should be accompanied by responsibility. For some, there may be a sense that they recognize the role of luck in their upcoming windfall rather than viewing it as something they are automatically entitled to.
History also suggests liquidity events have the potential to drive substantial charitable giving. In 2021, U.S. IPOs raised a record $142.4 billion. In that same year, contributions to donor-advised funds (DAFs) reached $72.67 billion, up from $49.58 billion in 2020—an increase of more than $23 billion in a single year. While correlation can never be confused with causation, major wealth creation events have historically been accompanied by significant increases in philanthropic activity.
For advisers, this presents a valuable opportunity to engage clients in conversations that extend beyond investment returns and tax efficiency. Many newly wealthy AI employees may know they want to make a difference but have not yet decided how, where or when to give. The challenge is helping them move from charitable intent to charitable strategy.
This is where DAFs can play an important role. An IPO is often a fast-moving and emotionally intense process. Individuals will suddenly find themselves making decisions involving sums of money they have likely never previously encountered. A DAF allows donors to commit funds to charitable purposes immediately, while taking time to develop their philanthropic priorities and identify organizations capable of delivering meaningful impact.
Advisers also need to understand the practical realities. Donating shares—whether involving an IPO or not—can be one of the most tax-effective ways to support charitable causes. But the right approach depends on a range of factors, including the type of shares, the timing of the gift, applicable tax regimes and the structures used to receive the donation. There are key legal, tax and practical considerations that individuals and their advisers should discuss, particularly in U.K. and U.S. tax contexts and when it comes to cross-border giving.
Given the complexities involved, donors and advisers should begin planning well before an IPO. Not all charities can accept illiquid assets, so it is important to engage early with your chosen charity or donor-advised fund (DAF) to avoid delays, complications or disappointment later.
Complex gifts rely on strong communication and trust between all parties. Robust record-keeping is equally essential, so ensure that transfer documents, agreements, deeds, valuations and related paperwork are accurately completed and stored securely.
The wealth generated by AI may ultimately prove to be one of the defining philanthropic stories of the next decade. But it is unlikely to resemble previous wealth creation cycles. These clients will be younger and often more internationally mobile, and they will bring different expectations about technology, values and impact. They may also arrive seeking guidance rather than simply execution.
For professional advisers, that means adapting the advisory model accordingly. Those who can combine technical expertise with education, philanthropy and trusted human judgement may find themselves supporting not only the next generation of wealthy individuals but also potentially the next generation of philanthropists as well.
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