100% of Book Proceeds benefit Mental Health Charities

David Wu will never acknowledge the sacrifices his parents, Bo and Mei, had made, nor the tough decisions his sister, Angela, and his brother, John, were forced to make to keep the family business going.

He filed a lawsuit in 2017, suing Angela and John for breach of fiduciary duty.
Selfishness is one of the most obvious and most common destructive emotions I have observed in the conflicts arising from an inheritance. When compassion for others is lost, selfishness is the result.

Principle #5: Promote Humility.

A worldview is a collection of attitudes, values, stories, and expectations about the world. This includes our faith—our belief in a higher power—or our lack of faith. Our worldview informs our every thought and action. Belief in any higher power instills a feeling of awe. This, in turn, encourages humility and promotes behaviors opposite of selfishness.

When we realize we are part of something much larger, it changes the way we view money, challenges, and people. It changes the way we view ourselves and all of life!

Identifying your worldview and that of your family members gives you a frame of reference and understanding, especially when challenges arise.

We don’t have to see the world in the same way for us to respect each other.

However, if we don’t know each other’s worldview, we cannot relate to one another, nor can we connect deeply as a family.

Make a point of talking openly with your children and grandchildren about how they view the world. In doing so, keep an open mind. Even if you don’t agree, do what you must to be accepting of each person’s worldview.

Read how the Wu family lawsuit ends, and all the other stories that inspired The Greatest Gift: 9 Principles for the Transfer of Your Legacy Along with Your Wealth.

Latest Entries

View all

Develop a Common Purpose

Principle #1: Develop a Common Purpose

No matter the dollar amount, one of the best ways to equip family members for the shock of inheritance is to provide them with a common purpose. Think of a common purpose as a series of long-term shared goals that bind individuals together through teamwork, engagement, and reinforcement.

Read more

Share Your Story

Principle #2: Share Your Story

However you do it, capturing your story will help your descendants know their story, their roots. You have a story, so tell it. And tell it often. Also, share what you’re most proud of.

Read more

Forge Traditions

Principle #3: Forge Traditions

We all have a need to belong and to know that we are enough. It’s part of being human. For parents and grandparents, it’s a challenge to instill this confidence in our children—that they, too, belong and are enough, that they are unique, and that we treasure them because of and despite their strengths, weaknesses, successes, and failures.

Read more