On This Page
Key Facts
- Two distinct clusters serve this market: the Kansas-based firm (established 1976 in Shawnee) and a group of wealth firms in Midland, Texas, built around Permian Basin energy fortunes.
- Office types include multi-family offices (MFO), virtual family offices (VFO), boutique wealth advisors, and business advisory firms.
- Private Wealth Asset Management in Midland, Texas, reports an average client tenure of 15 years. Its team brings a combined 500 years of professional experience.
- Core services include oil and gas mineral management, estate planning, business transition planning, and legacy wealth transfer for multi-generational families.
- West Texas energy production and first-generation succession needs drive demand for wealth advisory services in the region.
- The Midland Group, based in Fort Wayne, Indiana, has generated over $3 billion in wealth for business owners with revenues from $10 million to $5 billion.
Landscape Overview
Two distinct clusters define this market. One is a specific entity in Shawnee, Kansas, that has managed and preserved family wealth since 1976. The other is an ecosystem of wealth advisory firms in Midland, Texas, where Permian Basin oil production created ultra-high-net-worth (UHNW) families with complex energy fortunes to manage.
The Kansas-based firm carries a notable classification gap. One industry database lists it as a single family office (SFO), while another classifies it as a multi-family office (MFO).
SFOs serve one family exclusively. MFOs pool resources for several families. A two-person team and diversified strategy suggest a focused operation regardless of label.
West Texas wealth management reflects the region's relationship-driven culture. Will Sparks of Financial Gravity emphasizes handshakes and in-person meetings. Oil and gas wealth creators, business owners facing succession decisions, and heirs inheriting energy assets all fuel demand for advisory services.
Options in Midland, TX, include traditional MFOs like Private Wealth Asset Management and a virtual family office from Financial Gravity. Syntal Capital Partners offers entrepreneurial wealth guidance, while Burgeon Capital provides boutique advisory services. Cerity Partners also maintains a West Texas presence, adding national-firm scale.
Family Office Comparison at a Glance
This table compares key firms serving the midland family office market. No public AUM figures exist for these offices, so the comparison focuses on type, focus, and services.
| Family Office | Type | Investment Focus | Key Services | Location |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Midland Family Office | MFO | Diversified (public, private, real estate, alternatives) | Financial planning, estate management, business advisory | Shawnee, KS |
| Private Wealth Asset Management | MFO | Natural resources, diversified portfolios, endowments | Oil/gas/mineral management, tax-aware investing, estate planning | Midland, TX |
| The Midland Group | Business Advisory | M&A advisory, exit planning | Leadership development, succession planning, sell-side prep | Fort Wayne, IN |
| Financial Gravity | VFO | Active, passive, and hybrid portfolios | Tax strategy, retirement planning, compliance | Midland, TX |
| Syntal Capital Partners | Wealth Advisory | Integrated wealth management | Liquidity event planning, lifecycle guidance | Midland, TX |
| Burgeon Capital | Boutique Wealth | Personalized capital deployment | Wealth management, advisory services | Midland, TX |
| Cerity Partners | Wealth Advisory | Financial advisory, wealth management | Concierge matching, advisory services | West Texas |
| Gould Family Financial | Wealth Advisory | Financial advisory | Financial advisory | Midland, TX |
Private Wealth Asset Management stands out for its breadth, offering 10 integrated services. The Midland Group differs from every other firm on this list by focusing on business value creation and exit execution rather than portfolio management.
Top Picks by Strategy
- Longest Track Record: The Shawnee, Kansas, firm has operated since 1976, bringing nearly five decades of wealth oversight.
- Best for Oil and Gas Families: Private Wealth Asset Management offers dedicated mineral management alongside full-service wealth planning in Midland, TX.
- Top Exit Planning Specialist: The Midland Group has advised on over 100 buy-side, sell-side, ESOP, IPO, and licensing transactions for companies with $10 million to $5 billion in revenue.
- Most Complete MFO Platform: Private Wealth Asset Management delivers 10+ integrated services, from tax-aware investing to banking and liquidity management, under one fiduciary roof.
- Best Virtual Option: Financial Gravity provides institutional-grade tax strategy and capital deployment through a virtual family office model in West Texas.
- Strongest Entrepreneurial Focus: Syntal Capital Partners has built its practice around perpetual entrepreneurs navigating liquidity events since 1998.
- National Firm, Local Presence: Cerity Partners pairs families with specialized advisors through its concierge matching program from a dedicated West Texas office.
Top Family Offices in Detail
Midland Family Office
Nearly five decades of continuous operation set this Shawnee, Kansas, firm apart from newer entrants. Founded in 1976 at 2001 Shawnee Mission Parkway, the office manages capital through public and private markets, real estate, and alternative assets. Core priorities include long-term appreciation and intergenerational planning.
An affiliate, Midland Property Management (also founded in 1976), points to deep real estate expertise within the family of entities. The lean two-person team likely serves a small number of families with high-touch portfolio oversight. One industry database classifies the firm as an SFO, while another lists it as an MFO, reflecting its focused scale.
Private Wealth Asset Management
No other firm in Midland, Texas, delivers this breadth of services for energy families. The platform covers custom portfolio management, tax-aware investing, oil and gas mineral management, estate planning, legacy planning, charitable giving, pre-sale business transition planning, risk management, and banking and liquidity management.
CEO Kim Cappellano and President Wendy Brekken (J.D.) lead a team holding CFA and CFP credentials. Director of Investments David Hillner carries both designations. The firm operates as a fiduciary, independent of product sales, with a solution-agnostic approach.
Average client tenure of 15 years shows families stay because the advice works, not because of contractual lock-in. For wealthy families with concentrated energy holdings, this combination of mineral expertise and broad wealth planning is rare.
The Midland Group
Business owners weighing a sale or succession plan will find this Fort Wayne, Indiana, firm built for that exact moment. Gordon Bell, a five-time CEO and Certified Exit Planning Advisor (CEPA) since 2009, founded the company in 1991. He earned Exit Planner of the Year honors in 2016 and has advised on more than 100 transactions.
The proprietary Advanced Value Enhancement Solutions program uses 90-day action plans to grow shareholder value before exit. Notable clients include Patricia Miller, co-founder of Vera Bradley. Revenue-stage clients range from $10 million to $5 billion in manufacturing, distribution, service, and retail.
Over $3 billion in generated wealth for business owners makes this firm the clear leader in exit advisory among companies serving the Midland market.
Financial Gravity Family Office Services
West Texas families seeking institutional-grade guidance without traditional overhead now have a virtual option. Financial Gravity pairs Family Office Director Will Sparks with specialists: tax strategist Ed Lyon (J.D.), Chief Investment Officer Dr. William R. Nelson (Ph.D., co-founder of EQIS Capital Management), and Chief Compliance Officer Kaili Winters.
The VFO model covers retirement planning, legacy planning, tax strategy, and portfolio management through active, passive, and hybrid allocations. Sparks drives out to meet clients in person, blending virtual efficiency with the relationship culture West Texas families expect.
Syntal Capital Partners
Serial entrepreneurs who build, sell, and build again need an advisor who understands that cycle. Syntal Capital Partners, based in Midland, Texas, since 1998, focuses on integrated wealth management for "perpetual entrepreneurs." The firm provides financial lifecycle guidance through liquidity events and transition planning.
For founders who treat exits not as endpoints but as funding events for the next venture, Syntal offers continuity. Traditional advisors often lack this entrepreneurial lens.
Burgeon Capital
Families wanting a boutique, one-on-one advisory relationship will find this Midland, Texas, registered advisor built for personal attention. Burgeon Capital serves a select group of clients with personalized financial solutions and capital management.
The consultative approach stands in contrast to larger platforms that standardize service delivery. High-net-worth families who value direct access to their advisor without layers of staff benefit from this model.
Cerity Partners (West Texas Office)
National scale meets local access through this firm's West Texas office. The concierge matching program pairs families with specialized advisors based on their financial goals and complexity. A complimentary 30-minute discovery call begins the process.
For Midland-area families who want the resources of a large advisory network with a local point of contact, Cerity bridges that gap. The trade-off is that national firms may lack the deep energy-sector knowledge that local offices like Private Wealth Asset Management provide.
Trends Shaping the Midland Wealth Market
Oil and Gas Wealth Moving Beyond Energy
Permian Basin families are actively shifting capital beyond concentrated energy holdings. Private Wealth Asset Management's combination of mineral management and diversified portfolio construction reflects this trend. Families with significant royalty income allocate into real estate, private equity, and direct investments to reduce commodity-price risk. Some also pursue co-investment deals alongside PE sponsors for greater control over individual assets.
Business Transition and Exit Planning
First-generation business owners in West Texas face growing urgency around succession planning. The Midland Group serves this need from the M&A advisory side, guiding owners through sell-side readiness and shareholder value enhancement. Syntal Capital Partners approaches the same challenge from the wealth side, helping entrepreneurs preserve and deploy proceeds from liquidity events.
Multi-Generational Wealth Transfers
Energy fortunes built in the Permian Basin now reach second and third generations. Private Wealth Asset Management lists legacy planning and multi-generational transfers as a core service. Family governance frameworks, next-generation education, and formal wealth transfer structures have become standard offerings rather than add-ons for firms in this market.
Virtual and Hybrid Office Models
Financial Gravity's VFO presence in Midland shows that non-traditional structures are gaining traction in West Texas. Clients may live hours from metro hubs, making virtual access practical. The hybrid model (virtual systems with in-person meetings) suits families who want broad service coverage without relocating their advisory relationship to Dallas or Houston.
How to Evaluate a Wealth Advisor in This Market
Energy-sector expertise should top the checklist for Midland-area families. Not every advisor understands mineral rights, royalty income structures, or the tax treatment of oil and gas assets. Private Wealth Asset Management's dedicated mineral management service sets a useful benchmark for what a qualified energy wealth advisor looks like.
Fiduciary status and independence from product sales matter more here than in most markets. Commission-based models still exist alongside fee-only firms. Verify whether the office acts as a fiduciary at all times, not just in certain accounts.
Credential relevance varies by need. CFA and CFP designations signal portfolio management skill. The CEPA credential (held by The Midland Group's Gordon Bell) signals exit planning depth.
A J.D. on the team (like Private Wealth's Wendy Brekken) signals estate planning capability. Match the team's credentials to your primary wealth challenge.
In-person access is a real evaluation factor in West Texas. The region's culture prioritizes face-to-face relationships.
Ask prospective advisors how often they meet clients in person and whether they travel to you. Financial Gravity's Will Sparks, for instance, drives out to meet clients rather than expecting them to visit his office.
Client tenure data, when available, offers a signal that marketing cannot replicate. A 15-year average tenure (as Private Wealth reports) suggests families stay because of results and relationship quality.
Which Office Fits Your Needs?
Oil and gas families managing mineral rights, royalty income, and concentrated energy holdings should look first at Private Wealth Asset Management. It is the only firm in this market offering dedicated mineral management alongside full wealth planning and estate services. Families inheriting energy wealth can also benefit from Financial Gravity's virtual model, which provides tax strategy and legacy planning without proximity to a physical office.
Business owners considering a sale or leadership transition have two paths. The Midland Group handles M&A advisory, sell-side readiness, and shareholder value enhancement for companies with $10 million to $5 billion in revenue. Syntal Capital Partners focuses on the wealth side, guiding entrepreneurs through liquidity events. The two firms complement rather than compete with each other.
Wealthy families seeking long-term, diversified wealth oversight may find the Kansas firm's nearly 50-year track record in public markets, private markets, real estate, and alternatives most compelling. Those who prefer national-firm resources with local presence can explore Cerity Partners' concierge matching program, keeping in mind that energy-sector depth may require local expertise as well.
Methodology
This guide to Midland-area wealth advisory options draws on public filings, office websites, and industry databases. Evaluation criteria included service breadth, niche relevance to the Midland market, fiduciary status, team credentials, and available track record data. No public assets under management figures exist for any firm in this market, so profiles emphasize service capabilities, client focus, and positioning rather than asset size. All data is current as of early 2026. Inclusion does not constitute an endorsement. Families should conduct independent due diligence before engaging any wealth advisor.
