Tom Ruggie, ChFC®, CFP®

Founder & CEO - Destiny Family Office, Destiny Wealth Partners, Destiny Alternative Investment Fund, & Ruggie Wealth Management

Tom Ruggie, ChFC®, CFP®

Founder & CEO - Destiny Family Office, Destiny Wealth Partners, Destiny Alternative Investment Fund, & Ruggie Wealth Management

Tom Ruggie, ChFC®, CFP®

Founder & CEO - Destiny Family Office, Destiny Wealth Partners, Destiny Alternative Investment Fund, & Ruggie Wealth Management

Tom is a visionary wealth manager, executive, and entrepreneur who has spent more than three decades building one of the country’s pre-eminent wealth management organizations, comprised of an independent RIA, multiple wealth management firms, various alternative investment funds, co-investment fund and other privileged investment initiatives to enhance client offerings.

In 2017, Tom founded Destiny Family Office to help individuals and families with situations like his – navigate the challenges and complexities of managing significant wealth, and to offer them a single-family office experience within a multi-family office structure.

His success is not one of inherited privilege but of resilience, hard work, and tenacity that have been formative to his entrepreneurial journey and personalized approach to serving clients.

He often remarks, “I am my own client,” reflecting his deep understanding of the complexities involved in building, managing, and preserving wealth while navigating the demands of both family and business. Every capability and solution at Destiny Family Office has been shaped by a guiding question: What would I want as a client?

The answers have been refined over more than two decades of insights gained from Strategic Coach, Vistage membership, the implementation of the Entrepreneurial Operating System (EOS) across his enterprise, and most recently, his participation in Tiger 21.

Tom’s philosophy of collaboration and quest for lifelong learning have been foundational. He and his team are committed to be their clients’ “first call” – whether they are celebrating achievements, navigating setbacks, or seeking new opportunities.

Tom, who was named the 2025 InvestmentNews Advisor of the Year – Alternative Investments, focuses heavily on providing privileged access to institutional-caliber alternative investments, including pre-IPO direct/private investments. He has also combined his own passion as an avid collector with his financial expertise to help clients turn personal interests into powerful investments.

He is an author and contributing writer with dozens of articles published in industry-leading publications and speaks nationally on the topics of alternative investments and collectibles as an asset class.

Tom is a member of TIGER 21, North America’s premier peer-to-peer network for entrepreneurs, inventors and top executives, which focuses on investment acumen as well as wealth preservation, estate planning and family dynamics beyond finance, and is also a member of the UHNW Institute, an educational, not-for-profit think tank. He serves on the board of the Orlando Magic Youth Foundation, the charitable arm of the Orlando Magic committed to helping at-risk youth in Central Florida, and is also on the board of Xtressé™, a breakthrough Regenerative Hair Treatment.

The Florida native is President Emeritus of the Cornerstone Hospice Foundation and was appointed by the Governor of Florida to the board of the Florida Prepaid College Plan and served as its vice-chairman.

He and his wife created the Tom and Kim Ruggie Family Foundation to support projects that strengthen the bond of families, improve the quality of people’s lives and enhance access to life-enriching services such as healthcare and education.

Tom, Kim, their son, daughter and son-in-law are ‘addicted’ to CrossFit and working-out in general. In 2020, Tom earned the CrossFit Level 1 Trainer designation. He also enjoys traveling with his family, red wine and has a significant sports’ memorabilia collection.

Rankings and Recognitions

Tom and his team have been blessed to be recognized and ranked among the nation’s top wealth advisors and firms:

  • InvestmentNews 2025 Advisor of the Year – Alternative Investments
  • 8X Forbes Best-In-State Wealth Advisors (#1 N Florida – 2024, #2 N Florida – 2025)
  • 13X Barron’s Top 1200 Financial Advisors
  • InvestmentNews 2024 RIA “Team of the Year”
  • Forbes Top 250 RIA Firms (#6 in Florida – 2025)
  • InvestmentNews 2025 Hot List – 100 Top Financial Professionals in the US
  • 13X Financial Advisor Magazine “America’s Top RIA’s”
  • ThinkAdvisor Luminaries Award Finalist 2025 “Family Office – Thought Leader of the Year”
  • InvestmentNews 2025 5-Star RIA Firms
  • 3X Family Wealth Report Awards Finalist
  • InvestmentNews 2023 Top 75 Fastest-Growing Fee-Only RIAS
  • Forbes Finance Council Since 2016
Tom Ruggie, joined by the Executive Team, accepts the prestigious InvestmentNews RIA Team of the Year award on behalf of Destiny Wealth Partners at the 2024 InvestmentNews Awards, celebrating excellence and innovation in wealth management.

Get to Know Tom Ruggie - Founder and CEO

8 Videos

Articles

Investing in AI: Public vs private investments

Investing in AI: Public vs private investments

By Tom Ruggie,
Published on InvestmentNews.com,
September 11, 2025

Private Equity In Your 401(k)? What This Means For Retirement Savers

By Tom Ruggie,
Published on Forbes.com,
September 25, 2025

Role of AI in Direct Investment

The Role Of Direct Investment Opportunities In The AI Revolution

By Tom Ruggie,
Published on Forbes.com,
September 16, 2025

Redefining Alternative Investing: How Thomas Ruggie Is Shaping the Future of Wealth Management

Thomas Ruggie Named 2025 Advisor of the Year in Alternative Investments. InvestmentNews Award Recognizes Exceptionalism in Wealth and Investment Management.

Investing In The Age Of AI: Lessons From The Dot-Com Era

By Tom Ruggie,
Published on Forbes.com,
April 25, 2025

The Most Newsworthy Developments Impacting Collectors

by Tom Ruggie,
Published in Crain Currency
Febuary 12, 2025

Founding Fortunes: The Power of Partnering with Entrepreneurial Advisors

By Tom Ruggie,
Published on Forbes.com,
October 23, 2024

REA Auctions Collectibles and Investing: Q&A

with Thomas Ruggie, ChFC®, CFP®,
Oct. 23, 2024

Destiny Family Office's

Podcast

Explore wealth, success, and investing with the “Significance of Wealth” podcast. Hosted by Tom Ruggie, this show offers insights into the world of investments, collectibles, and wealth management strategies, while emphasizing the importance of what truly matters.

Neither rankings nor recognitions by unaffiliated rating services, publications, media, or other organizations,  nor the achievement of any professional designation, certification, degree, or license, membership in any professional organization, or any amount of prior experience or success, should be construed by a client or prospective client as a guarantee that the client will experience a certain level of results if the investment professional or the investment professional’s firm is engaged, or continues to be engaged, to provide investment advisory services. A fee was not paid by either the investment professional or the investment professional’s firm to receive the ranking. The ranking is based upon specific criteria and methodology (see ranking criteria/methodology). No ranking or recognition should be construed as an endorsement by any past or current client of the investment professional or the investment professional’s firm.  Additional information at:  https://destinyfamilyoffice.com/disclosures/

The achievement of any professional designation, certification, degree, or license, recognition by publications, media, or other organizations, membership in any professional organization, or any amount of prior experience or success, should not be construed by a client or prospective client as a guarantee that he/she will experience a certain level of results or satisfaction if Destiny Wealth Partners, LLC is engaged, or continues to be engaged, to provide investment advisory services. Additional information at: https://destinyfamilyoffice.com/disclosures/ .

The expressed views, thoughts, and opinions belong solely to the Significance of Wealth podcast host and/or guests on the podcast and are not investment recommendations or opinions issued by Destiny Wealth Partners or its affiliates. Investment advisory services are offered through Destiny Wealth Partners, LLC, an SEC Registered Investment Advisor. Destiny Wealth Partners also conducts business under the name Destiny Family Office. Destiny Family Office podcasts are the sole property of Destiny Family Office, and information provided is for informational and educational purposes only. Destiny Family Office and its affiliates are not responsible for any human or mechanical errors or omissions. Parties may not reproduce these podcasts in any form without the express written consent of Destiny Family Office. Learn more at https://destinyfamilyoffice.com/disclosures/.