LGT is the private bank wholly owned by the Princely Family of Liechtenstein — the only major player in the industry still fully in one family's hands. That ownership is the core of its pitch: client money is managed alongside the owners' own capital, with no quarterly earnings pressure from public markets.
Profile and scale
Family ownership does not mean boutique scale. The group runs CHF 386.1bn in client AUM with around 6,000 staff across 40+ locations (lgt.com, data as of July 2026). The historical focus is families and entrepreneurs, with a dedicated UHNWI offering and strong capabilities in alternatives and private equity.
The signature product is the Princely Strategy: clients can co-invest in the same portfolio where the princely family's own capital sits — a rare alignment of interests between a bank's owner and its clients.
Minimum investment
LGT publishes no entry threshold; terms are agreed individually. The market benchmark is around CHF 1m (an estimate the bank does not confirm), and the Austrian booking contour is known to accept lower entry points in practice.
| Parameter | Value | Confirmation |
|---|---|---|
| Entry threshold | Not published; ~CHF 1m benchmark | Market estimate; on request |
| Client AUM | CHF 386.1bn | lgt.com |
| Staff | ~6,000 | lgt.com |
| Locations | 40+ | lgt.com/worldwide |
Data as of July 2026.
Booking jurisdictions
The group operates banks in five jurisdictions: Liechtenstein (LGT Bank AG, Vaduz), Switzerland, Austria, Singapore and Hong Kong. Few family-owned banks offer this choice — European booking (EEA or Switzerland) and Asian booking within a single group.
The wider footprint spans Europe (Austria, Germany, Ireland, Liechtenstein, Switzerland, Spain, UK), the Middle East (UAE, Bahrain) and APAC — from LGT Crestone in Australia to LGT Wealth India (lgt.com/worldwide, data as of July 2026).
Compliance and difficult passports
LGT publishes no onboarding policy by citizenship. The country selector on its website — which includes Russia, Kazakhstan and Ukraine — merely gates content access; it is not a promise of an account. Decisions rest with case-by-case compliance, where residency and source of funds matter most. A telling episode: when Vontobel wound down its Hong Kong wealth management in 2022–23, client portfolios were transferred to LGT (finews) — demonstrated appetite for international clients in Asia.
Who it suits
Capital owners from roughly CHF 1m upwards who value the stability of a family-owned model, access to private equity and alternatives, and a genuine choice of booking centre — including Singapore and Hong Kong. Peers in the family-owned league are Pictet and Julius Baer; the segment overview sits in private banking.
It does not suit portfolios well below the benchmark, or clients who need day-to-day transactional banking — LGT is built for capital, not payments. Those needing a global investment bank with a US platform are better served by UBS.
FAQ
What is the minimum to open an account with LGT?
There is no official figure — onboarding is case by case. The market benchmark is about CHF 1m; the Austrian contour is known for lower entries. Any specific number quoted before speaking to the bank is a market estimate, not a tariff.
Where can LGT book an account?
Banking licences sit in Liechtenstein, Switzerland, Austria, Singapore and Hong Kong. The choice depends on the client's residency, goals and compliance outcome.
Does LGT accept Russian citizens?
No public policy exists. Compliance is individual: residency, source of funds and sanctions status matter more than the passport itself. A country appearing in the website selector is not an onboarding promise.
What is the Princely Strategy?
The investment strategy holding the Liechtenstein princely family's own capital, open to client co-investment — aligning the owner's risk with the client's.