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Phil Osagie
Updated Feb 19, 2026
Elon Musk, Warren Buffett, and Jeff Bezos stand among the wealthiest Americans ever, and like many ultra-rich investors, the bulk of their wealth is tied to stocks. Just look at Buffett, who recently snapped up $4.9 billion worth of Google shares.
But when it comes to investing in the stock market, a new wave of volatility might be prompting today’s rich, young investors to take a slightly different approach.
According to a Bank of America survey, individuals aged 21 to 43 with at least $3 million in assets have only 25% of their portfolio invested in stocks, compared to 55% for wealthy investors aged older than 43.
An overwhelming 93% of young millionaires say they plan to boost their exposure to alternatives in the coming years. So, which alternative investments are actually winning their attention and their money?
Fundrise Flagship Fund
Buy real estate through Fundrise's $1 billion private fund
A golden opportunity to hedge against inflation
The Bank of America survey revealed that among wealthy young investors, 45% own gold as a physical asset, and another 45% are interested in holding it.
Historically, gold has served as a hedge against inflation and market volatility. Many investors turn to “safe haven” assets like gold during economic and geopolitical instability to preserve their wealth.
Gold prices have surged by more than 80% year to date, hitting multiple record highs in 2025, with projections suggesting it could soon exceed $6,000.
There are many gold assets to choose from, including gold bars, coins, and gold stocks.
One way to invest in gold that also provides significant tax advantages is to open a gold IRA with the help of Priority Gold.
Gold IRAs allow investors to hold physical gold or gold-related assets within a retirement account, thereby combining the tax advantages of an IRA with the protective benefits of investing in gold, making it an attractive option for those seeking to ensure their retirement funds are well-shielded against economic uncertainties.
If you’d like to convert an existing IRA into a gold IRA, Priority Gold offers 100% free rollover, as well as free shipping, and free storage for up to five years. Qualifying purchases will also receive up to $10,000 in free silver.
To learn more about how Priority Gold can help you reduce inflation’s impact on your nest egg, download their free 2026 gold investor bundle.
Real estate: rich with opportunity
Real estate has long been considered a solid portfolio hedge, as rent and property values tend to increase with inflation. It’s no surprise that high-net-worth individuals — regardless of their age — see opportunity in this asset.
In the Bank of America survey, 31% of younger people said real estate presents the greatest opportunities for growth. Federal Reserve data also shows that the top 1% of Americans hold over $6 trillion in real estate assets.
But if you want to avoid a hefty downpayment and the burden of property management, there are new platforms that make it easier to tap into this lucrative market.
For instance, the Fundrise Flagship Fund¹ is a $1 billion private real estate fund that lets you invest in an expertly crafted strategy without needing hundreds of thousands of dollars. You don’t need to be an accredited investor, and you can get started with as little as $10.
With 4,700+ single-family homes and 2,500+ residential units owned by the Fundrise Flagship Fund, you get exposure to institutional-style scale and diversification.
Industrial
215 Interchange
Las Vegas, NV
Build-for-rent
Pine Ridge
Fountain Inn, SC
Build-for-rent
Omnia
Richmond Hill, GA
These are a few examples of properties powering the Fundrise Flagship Fund. For a full list of the Fundrise Flagship Fund's portfolio properties see the Flagship Fund website.
After you place your first investment, the Fundrise Flagship Fund will work to find and add new assets to your portfolio over time and send you transparent updates along the way.
It only takes a few minutes to sign up now and become a real estate investor today.
Fundrise Flagship Fund
Buy real estate through Fundrise's $1 billion private fund
If diversifying into multifamily rentals appeals to you, you could consider investing with Lightstone DIRECT, a new investing platform from the Lightstone Group, one of the largest private real estate companies in the country with over 25,000 multifamily units in its portfolio.
Since they eliminate intermediaries — brokers and crowdfunding middlemen — accredited investors with a minimum investment of $100,000 can gain direct access to institutional-quality multifamily opportunities. This streamlined model can help reduce fees while enhancing transparency and control.
Featured
Residential
Columbus, OH
Featured
Industrial
Tobyhanna, PA
Featured
Residential
Beverly Hills, MI
These are a few examples of past properties or acquisitions from Lightstone. Explore more investment opportunities when you register with Lightstone DIRECT.
And with Lightstone DIRECT, you invest in single-asset multifamily deals alongside Lightstone — a true partner — as Lightstone puts at least 20% of its own capital into every offering. All of Lightstone’s investment opportunities undergo a rigorous, multi-stage review before being approved by Lightstone’s Principals, including Founder David Lichtenstein.
How it works is simple: Just sign up with your email, and you can schedule a call with a capital formation expert to assess your investment opportunities. From here, all you have to do is verify your details to begin investing.
Founded in 1986, Lightstone has a proven track record of delivering strong risk-adjusted returns across market cycles with a 27.5% historical net IRR and 2.49x historical net equity multiple on realized investments since 2004. All told, Lightstone has $12 billion in assets under management — including in industrial and commercial real estate.
As such, even if multifamily rentals don’t appeal to you, Lightstone could still serve you well as an investment vehicle for other real estate verticals.
Get started today with Lightstone DIRECT and invest alongside experienced professionals with skin in the game.
Artwork: a creative way to diversify
More than 72% of younger investors (ages 21–43) now believe that achieving above-average returns requires looking beyond traditional stocks and bonds. One alternative asset gaining significant traction is art.
According to Bank of America, 40% of respondents already own art, and over 78% are likely to buy expensive art within the next 12 months.
The art market generates more than $67.8 billion in yearly sales, while the total value of art owned by collectors globally is estimated at $1.7 trillion.
In the past, you had to be ultra-wealthy to invest in art, considering you needed to have the millions it takes to buy a painting at an auction.
But Masterworks has now changed that. This investment platform has made it possible for more investors to access this prized asset.
For example, Gustav Klimt’s famous portrait of Elisabeth Lederer recently sold for a record-breaking $236.4 million, making it the most expensive work of modern art ever sold at an auction.
Instead of buying a single painting like that for millions of dollars, you can now invest in fractional shares of blue-chip paintings by renowned artists including Pablo Picasso, Basquiat and Banksy.
Sold
Joan Mitchell
17.8% annualized net return
Sold
Yayoi Kusama
17.6% annualized net return
Sold
George Condo
21.5% annualized net return
These are a few examples of sold artworks from Masterworks. For a full list of currently available art, visit Masterworks' Price Database.
All you have to do is select how many shares you want to buy and Masterworks will take care of the rest.
Masterworks has already distributed back $65+ million in total proceeds (including principal) to investors across their 25 exits.
How it works
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Step 1: Accredited investors need to visit Masterworks.com, where they’ll be prompted to enter a few details about their portfolio and investment goals.
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Step 2: Investors can schedule a call with one of Masterworks Advisers — registered investment representatives — to determine which current art holdings match their investment goals. The benefit is that you can select one or many art pieces, buying fractional shares based on your interests and goals.
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Step 3: As soon as Masterworks sells a piece you invested in, you get a return from the net proceeds. While every artwork performs differently, overall the past three exits — where Masterworks has acquired, held and eventually sold the art work — delivered median returns of 17.6%, 17.8%, and 21.5%.
Cryptocurrency: more than a craze
Investors used to be skeptical about cryptocurrency, perhaps due to its speculative and highly volatile nature. But it has now entered the mainstream, and especially with President Trump vowing to create a “strategic national Bitcoin stockpile”, crypto has surged to a global market cap of $3.72 trillion.
It’s no surprise that the wealthy millennials and Gen Z are fond of this asset class. In the Bank of America survey, 29% of younger people said cryptos offer the greatest opportunities for growth, while only 7% of the older group agreed.
Rich young Americans also allocated 15% of their portfolios to crypto, compared to 2% of the older generation.
Finding the right asset mix
While gold, real estate and other alternative assets can play an important role in growing your wealth, they’re just a portion of your entire financial puzzle.
Determining the right mix of assets for your portfolio isn’t one-size-fits-all — and a trusted, pre-screened financial advisor can help tailor investment choices to your income, net worth, and long-term goals, where generalized advice often falls short.
According to research by Vanguard, people who work with financial advisors see a 3% increase in net returns. This difference can be substantial over time. For instance, if you start with a $50,000 portfolio, you could potentially retire with an extra $1.3 million after 30 years of professional guidance.
Finding the right advisor for your needs is simple with Advisor.com. Their platform connects you with an experienced, qualified financial professional in your local area who can provide personalized guidance.
A professional advisor can also help you assess how many years you have left to invest before retirement and determine your comfort level with market fluctuations, both of which are key to creating the right asset mix for your portfolio.
Through Advisor.com, you can schedule a free consultation with no obligation to hire to discuss your financial goals and retirement planning needs.
More money moves to make
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Buy shares of homes and vacation rentals for as little as $100.
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HELOC
Tap into your home equity to pay off debt or fund a renovation.
Advisor
Financial advisor
Connect with a vetted wealth expert to help you get on track.
Phil Osagie
Conversion Copywriter
Phil is a writer at Moneywise, bringing a strong background in public relations, financial communications and copywriting. Educated in Cambridge, U.K., he has created content for several blue-chip companies, combining clarity with strategic insight.
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