National recognition underscores sustained leadership in expanding access to private markets and redefining investment management for ultra-high-net-worth families
We’re excited to announce that Thomas Ruggie, ChFC®, CFP®, Founder and CEO of Destiny Family Office, has been named the InvestmentNews 2026 Advisor of the Year, Alternative Investments for the second consecutive year, a rare distinction that reflects his continued leadership in expanding access to privileged private investments and serving the increasingly complex needs of high-net-worth (HNW) and ultra-high-net-worth (UHNW) families.
Presented at the annual InvestmentNews Awards in New York City, this award recognizes the advisor who has displayed excellence in providing alternative investment solutions, (investments in asset classes other than stocks, bonds and cash), which feature low correlations to traditional asset classes.
“The modern portfolio has fundamentally shifted. Alternatives are no longer supplemental. They’re foundational,” said Tom, who has positioned himself at the forefront of this evolution, expanding access to privileged alternative investments opportunities for HNW and UHNW investors who have historically been excluded from them, despite their significant resources.
Tom believes investors are at a generational inflection point for accessing exceptional late-stage, pre-IPO direct investments in industry disruptors such as OpenAI, Anthropic, Anduril, Databricks, and Whoop.
“I’ve always believed the best wealth managers don’t simply manage portfolios, they solve problems.” “Earning this honor in consecutive years speaks to the commitment our entire team has made to making a meaningful impact on our clients’ lives.”
Tom has become a nationally recognized voice on modern portfolio construction and the strategic role of alternative investments. He educates investors and advisors on private markets, family office strategy, and the role of passion assets within long-term wealth and legacy planning through speaking engagements, articles in leading financial publications, his Significance of Wealth podcast, and Destiny Direct Insights and Significant Collector newsletters.
Over the past year, Tom has expanded his private investment platform within Destiny Family Office and is launching an intelligence-rich destination site called Destiny Access, built exclusively for Qualified Purchasers eligible to participate in these differentiated investment opportunities. Destiny Access brings together private market opportunities, proprietary insights, and curated investment intelligence.
HIs firms have further expanded their capabilities by launching Destiny Intelligence, a new AI-focused business dedicated to developing technology purpose-built for wealth advisors by wealth advisors.
National honors include recognition among Forbes Best-in-State Wealth Advisors, Barron’s Top 1,500 Financial Advisors, and Forbes Top RIA Firms. Destiny Wealth Partners, another RIA founded by Ruggie, was previously named InvestmentNews RIA Team of the Year (10 Advisors or More).
Investment advisory services offered through Destiny Family Office, LLC, an SEC Registered Investment Advisor. Rankings and/or recognition by unaffiliated rating services and/or publications should not be construed by a client or prospective client as a guarantee that he/she will experience a certain level of results if Destiny Wealth Partners or its firms are engaged, or continue to be engaged, to provide investment advisory services, nor should it be construed as a current or past endorsement of Destiny Family Office by any of its clients.
InvestmentNews requested initial submissions for entries based on category criteria. Applications could be submitted by an individual or team depending on the category or anyone could apply on their behalf. Finalists (awardees) were selected based on submissions and research performed by InvestmentNews. Awardees then submitted more detailed entries, which were judged by an independent panel of industry leaders, and winners were selected based on a simple points system. No fee was submitted for consideration. For additional information, visit https://destinyfamilyoffice.com/disclosures/
