Patrimonial Relations: Kinship, Capital and Conflict in Super-Rich Families

Franziska Wiest

Rising wealth inequalities, concentrated in the hands of a few super-rich families, have recently sparked sociological interest in how these families sustain and legitimize their wealth across generations. But how are family relationships and practices of wealth reproduction intertwined? The transmission of capital in super-rich families is deeply embedded in ideals of paternal authority, tradition, loyalty, patrilineality and primogeniture. Rather than fading with modernization, patrimonial ideals and structures have proven remarkably innovative. Shifting its focus from the authority of the patriarch to the family collective, these families have reconfigured their modes of economic, social, and legal reproduction. By tracing how they have persisted as economic institutions through different phases of capitalism, this research contributes to ongoing debates on wealth inequality. The dissertation demonstrates how managing family emotions is crucial to the reproduction of dynastic wealth. Ultimately, it argues that the family remains a crucial site in the organization of economic life and that “patrimonial capitalism” is not a relic of the past but continues to shape contemporary societies in significant ways.