Key Takeaways
- • Standard Chartered Global Private Bank hosted an Alternative Investment Summit on March 7, 2025, bringing together Apollo, Ardian, Ares, Brookfield Oaktree Wealth Solutions, FengHe and KKR to discuss private market trends for ultra and high-net-worth clients.
- • Alternative AUM globally reached US$13.7 trillion in 2021 and is projected to reach US$23.3 trillion in 2027, according to KPMG's Action Plan for Alternatives, cited in the advertorial.
- • Apollo, the world's largest private credit manager with US$750 billion in AUM, positioned private credit as a key asset class as traditional lenders retreat, with energy, digital infrastructure and AI capex creating lending opportunities.
- • Ardian, managing US$177 billion globally, said 2025 is shaping up as a strong year for deal-making and exits as stabilising interest rates improve debt markets, and reported rising investor interest in co-investments.
- • Standard Chartered positioned its alternatives suite as institutional-grade, with its Hong Kong and Greater China private banking leaders framing alternatives as a route to resilience and diversification.
Summary
Standard Chartered Global Private Bank used a sponsored article to promote its alternative investment offering for ultra and high-net-worth individuals (U/HNWIs). The bank cited industry data showing alternative AUM globally reached US$13.7 trillion in 2021, with projections of US$23.3 trillion by 2027, sourced to KPMG's Action Plan for Alternatives. The article notes that while institutional investors have led this growth, private banking clients are increasingly allocating to alternatives.
The bank hosted its Alternative Investment Summit on March 7, 2025, featuring Apollo, Ardian, Ares, Brookfield Oaktree Wealth Solutions, FengHe and KKR. Matthew Michelini, partner and head of Asia Pacific at Apollo, said private credit has emerged as a key asset class as traditional lenders pull back, and that institutional and high-net-worth investors are looking to it for stable returns. Apollo, the world's largest private credit manager with US$750 billion in AUM, described its portfolio as designed to generate excess returns while protecting principal. Michelini also pointed to capital expenditure tied to energy, digital infrastructure and AI as creating lending opportunities, particularly in investment-grade assets.
Infrastructure was highlighted as a second theme. Chloe Berry, managing partner at Brookfield's Infrastructure Group and head of Brookfield Infrastructure Income Strategy, cited digitalisation, decarbonisation and deglobalisation as drivers of the next wave of investment. She described infrastructure as a "sleep-at-night" investment with built-in downside protection and said Brookfield is incorporating inflation escalators into contracts.
Ardian, which manages US$177 billion globally, focused on private equity. Jason Yao, head of Greater China and senior managing director, said stabilising rates should support deal-making and exits in 2025, and that co-investments offer exposure to high-quality transactions with better risk-adjusted returns than traditional buyout funds. Ares Management, through John Knox, partner and head of Australia and New Zealand, argued that sports franchise enterprise values have grown consistently over the past decade, and pointed to adjacent opportunities in media rights, infrastructure and streaming.
Kwek Hyen Yong, managing partner and CEO of FengHe, a Singapore-based hedge fund with US$4.1 billion in AUM, described a bottom-up stock-picking approach and said macro forecasting amounts to speculation. He also noted a growing role for AI and alternative data in decision-making. Ming Lu, senior advisory partner at KKR, said Asia's alternative investment industry has grown nearly 100-fold over 25 years, far outpacing GDP, while private market penetration remains low.
Alson Ho, head of wealth solutions at Standard Chartered Hong Kong, and Peter Tung, regional head of private banking for Greater China and North Asia, framed alternatives as tools for resilience and long-term growth. The article is marked as produced by an advertising partner and includes a general risk disclaimer.
The bank hosted its Alternative Investment Summit on March 7, 2025, featuring Apollo, Ardian, Ares, Brookfield Oaktree Wealth Solutions, FengHe and KKR. Matthew Michelini, partner and head of Asia Pacific at Apollo, said private credit has emerged as a key asset class as traditional lenders pull back, and that institutional and high-net-worth investors are looking to it for stable returns. Apollo, the world's largest private credit manager with US$750 billion in AUM, described its portfolio as designed to generate excess returns while protecting principal. Michelini also pointed to capital expenditure tied to energy, digital infrastructure and AI as creating lending opportunities, particularly in investment-grade assets.
Infrastructure was highlighted as a second theme. Chloe Berry, managing partner at Brookfield's Infrastructure Group and head of Brookfield Infrastructure Income Strategy, cited digitalisation, decarbonisation and deglobalisation as drivers of the next wave of investment. She described infrastructure as a "sleep-at-night" investment with built-in downside protection and said Brookfield is incorporating inflation escalators into contracts.
Ardian, which manages US$177 billion globally, focused on private equity. Jason Yao, head of Greater China and senior managing director, said stabilising rates should support deal-making and exits in 2025, and that co-investments offer exposure to high-quality transactions with better risk-adjusted returns than traditional buyout funds. Ares Management, through John Knox, partner and head of Australia and New Zealand, argued that sports franchise enterprise values have grown consistently over the past decade, and pointed to adjacent opportunities in media rights, infrastructure and streaming.
Kwek Hyen Yong, managing partner and CEO of FengHe, a Singapore-based hedge fund with US$4.1 billion in AUM, described a bottom-up stock-picking approach and said macro forecasting amounts to speculation. He also noted a growing role for AI and alternative data in decision-making. Ming Lu, senior advisory partner at KKR, said Asia's alternative investment industry has grown nearly 100-fold over 25 years, far outpacing GDP, while private market penetration remains low.
Alson Ho, head of wealth solutions at Standard Chartered Hong Kong, and Peter Tung, regional head of private banking for Greater China and North Asia, framed alternatives as tools for resilience and long-term growth. The article is marked as produced by an advertising partner and includes a general risk disclaimer.
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