New research from Wealth Club, a UK non-advised investment service for high net worth individuals, shows that UK private markets fund managers are boosting personal private markets investment.
UK private markets fund managers are increasingly backing the
sector with plans to boost the level of their personal
investments in private markets, according to new research from
Wealth Club.
The study across the private equity, private credit, real estate
and infrastructure sectors found that managers invest on average
12 per cent of their wealth excluding property, VCTs, and the
enterprise investment scheme (EIS) in private markets.
Around one in 12 said that between 25 per cent and 50 per cent of
their investments are in private markets and 2 per cent of fund
managers questioned have none of their personal investments in
private markets.
That average number is set to rise over the next three years to
nearly 18 per cent, Wealth Club’s research found. Around a fifth
will be investing between 25 per cent and 50 per cent in private
markets with 2 per cent saying they will have more than half of
their personal investments in private markets. Only 1 per cent
will have no private markets in their portfolio, the survey,
issued last week, shows.
Wealth Club commissioned independent research company Pureprofile
to interview 100 UK private markets fund managers working across
the private equity, private credit, real estate and
infrastructure sectors in June 2026
Fund managers are marginally more likely to invest in private
markets through semi-liquid funds, the research found. Around 52
per cent said they primarily use the structure while 50 per cent
said they invest directly in private markets. More than two out
of five used traditional closed-ended funds while 26 per cent
invest through listed investment trusts.
The availability of more wrappers and structures is likely to
play a role in increasing investment in private markets by the
fund managers questioned.
Almost all said they would definitely or probably invest in
private markets through a self-invested personal pension (SIPP)
while 95 per cent would definitely or probably invest in private
markets through an individual savings account (ISA) wrapper.
Wealth Club, which launched its private funds supermarket in
November 2024, opened the first Private Markets SIPP in the UK
earlier this year marking an inflection point in the
democratisation of alternative investments in the UK. It allows
sophisticated investors to hold a range of semi-liquid private
markets funds managed by global firms including Brookfield, CVC
and EQT with minimum investments from as little as £10,000
($13,000).
“It”s reassuring that almost all private markets fund managers
invest their own money in private markets. Investors want fund
managers whose interests are aligned with their own, and this
level of personal commitment is a powerful vote of confidence in
the long-term prospects of the asset class,” Alex Davies, founder
and CEO of Wealth Club, said.
“What’s particularly telling is that many plan to increase those
allocations further over the coming years. When the people
closest to the opportunities are committing more of their own
capital, it’s a strong signal that they remain optimistic about
what lies ahead.
“The research also highlights the growing popularity of
semi-liquid and evergreen funds among private markets
professionals themselves. These structures are helping bridge the
gap between institutional and individual investors, making
private markets easier to access without sacrificing the
long-term characteristics that have made the asset class so
attractive. It’s also striking how many fund managers would like
to invest through SIPPs and ISAs if given the opportunity,
reinforcing our belief that this could become a significant
growth area in the years ahead.”
After what was a tough time for private equity in 2022 and 2023,
and despite an evolving macro environment, a
recent survey released by New York-headquartered
Blackstone also
shows that 90 per cent of surveyed advisors are either increasing
or maintaining their private equity allocations.