HighTower Advisors
HighTower Advisors is a PE-backed, Chicago-based RIA platform serving high-net-worth and ultra-high-net-worth clients through 100+ affiliated advisory practices and ~663 advisors across 33-34 U.S. states, managing approximately $353.7 billion in client assets via fee-based investment advisory, broker-dealer, trust, and family office services.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2008
- HeadquartersChicago, United States
- Headcount501–1,000
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingServices
What HighTower Advisors does
HighTower Advisors is a Chicago-headquartered, privately-held registered investment adviser and RIA platform serving high-net-worth and ultra-high-net-worth individuals, families, business owners, corporate executives, and institutional clients. Founded in 2008 and owned by private equity firm Thomas H. Lee Partners, the firm operates through a federated model comprising Hightower Advisors, LLC (SEC-registered investment adviser), Hightower Securities, LLC (FINRA/SIPC broker-dealer), and Hightower Trust Company, N.A., supporting a network of 100+ affiliated advisory practices and roughly 663 advisors across 33-34 U.S. states. As of mid-2026, the firm manages approximately $353.7 billion in client assets, with a Signature Wealth integrated channel surpassing $29 billion and an Investment Solutions institutional platform managing $6.6 billion (as of June 30, 2025).
The firm's core technology is Hightower One, a centralized, open-architecture wealth management platform consolidating back-, middle-, and front-office operations across the affiliated advisor network, with initial rollout to Signature Wealth advisors in summer 2026 and full deployment by end of 2026. The technology stack integrates Salesforce CRM, the Zocks AI assistant (deployed exclusively after a pilot program for administrative automation, client-conversation capture, and agentic Client Queries), and Moment for fixed-income trading automation; investment strategies are sourced from the in-house Investment Solutions group and the NEPC institutional consulting/OCIO division acquired in 2024, which advises on $1.5-1.6 trillion in client assets. Sub-brands include Hightower Signature Wealth (integrated channel), Hightower Family Office (expanded in June 2026 for UHNW families with NEPC and GTBA partnerships), Hightower Investment Solutions, Hightower Trust Company, and the Hightower One platform led by President and Chief Business Officer Roberto Stewart under CEO Larry Restieri (hired June 2025 from Goldman Sachs Ayco).
Revenue is generated primarily through recurring AUM-based investment advisory fees, supplemented by broker-dealer transaction commissions through Hightower Securities, trustee and fiduciary fees through Hightower Trust Company, and professional-services revenue from the Family Office and corporate 401(k) consulting. The go-to-market motion is channel-based: the firm recruits growth-oriented independent advisory practices onto its platform, retains founder branding and partial autonomy, and consolidates operations under shared infrastructure. The firm is currently being shopped by its PE owner (Goldman Sachs advising, second sale attempt after a halted May 2024 effort), with two mega-RIA buyers reportedly declining participation citing cultural fit, while the firm simultaneously executes an aggressive 'Hightower 3.0' strategic transformation.
HighTower Advisors firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- HighTower Advisors
- Legal name
- Hightower Advisors, LLC
- Website
- https://hightoweradvisors.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2008
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 501–1,000 employees
- Short description
- HighTower Advisors is a PE-backed, Chicago-based RIA platform serving high-net-worth and ultra-high-net-worth clients through 100+ affiliated advisory practices and ~663 advisors across 33-34 U.S. states, managing approximately $353.7 billion in client assets via fee-based investment advisory, broker-dealer, trust, and family office services.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
HighTower Advisors industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Wealth Management
- NAICS
- Portfolio Management and Investment Advice (523940), Securities, Commodity Contracts, and Other Financial Investments and Related Activities (523)
- SIC
- Investment Advice (6282), Security Brokers, Dealers & Flotation Companies (6211)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Comprehensive/Full-Service RIAs & Independent Wealth Managers (FSAAACAA)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Institutional Consulting RIAs (OCIO/Endowments/Foundations/Pensions) (FSAAACAG), Registered Investment Advisor (RIA) Wealth Management (FSAEABAA)
Keywords
Where HighTower Advisors is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Chicago
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices10 records
Markets served
HighTower Advisors business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others
Revenue model
- Investment advisory fees (AUM-based): Recurring fee-based revenue earned by Hightower Advisors, LLC as an SEC-registered investment adviser on client assets under management across its affiliated practices, Hightower Signature Wealth, and the Investment Solutions platform ($6.6B AUM as of June 30, 2025).
- Brokerage commissions: Securities commissions and transaction-based revenue generated through Hightower Securities, LLC, a FINRA/SIPC member broker-dealer that routes transactions through National Financial Services (Fidelity) and Pershing.
- Trust and fiduciary services: Trustee and agency fees from Hightower Trust Company, National Association (a wholly-owned subsidiary of Hightower Holding, LLC), providing personal trust, tax, and investment management services, with investment management delegated to Hightower Advisors.
- Family office and wealth planning services: Integrated advisory fees from Hightower Family Office serving ultra-high-net-worth families with investment strategy, tax strategy, estate planning, business owner advisory, family governance, risk management and administration services.
- Corporate 401(k) consulting and cash management: Fee-based consulting services and cash management solutions provided to corporate clients, complementing individual wealth advisory offerings.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Multi-year contract | Fee-based investment advisory services (AUM-based) |
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | Broker-dealer commissions via Hightower Securities, LLC |
| Other | Annual | Trust services fees via Hightower Trust Company |
Go-to-market motion1 record
HighTower Advisors product offering
Product offeringCore offering
HighTower Advisors operates a national registered investment adviser (RIA) platform that partners with 100+ independent wealth advisory practices across 33-34 U.S. states, delivering fiduciary wealth management, investment advisory, family office, trust, and brokerage services to high-net-worth and ultra-high-net-worth clients. The firm consolidates approximately $353.7B in client assets through affiliated advisor practices, an in-house Investment Solutions division, the Signature Wealth integrated channel, the Hightower Trust Company, and the Hightower Securities broker-dealer subsidiary.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Hightower Signature Wealth: Integrated national wealth management platform/channel for advisors seeking a fully integrated path to growth; powered by Chief Investment Strategist Stephanie Link and the research team. HightowerSignature.com listed among partner brands.
- Hightower Investment Solutions
- Hightower Family Office
- Hightower One
- Hightower Trust Company
Products and services
- Wealth Management and Financial Planning Services Fiduciary wealth advisory, investment management, retirement planning, legacy planning, and financial planning delivered to high-net-worth individuals and families through 100+ affiliated advisor practices across 33-34 U.S. states.
- Hightower Investment Solutions In-house institutional asset management division offering equity strategies, fixed income strategies, multi-asset portfolios, and private market solutions to Hightower advisor practices and external institutional clients. Manages $6.6B AUM as of June 30, 2025.
- Hightower Family Office Integrated family office services for ultra-high-net-worth families, entrepreneurs, business owners, and multigenerational families. Provides investment strategy, portfolio management, tax strategy, estate planning, trust services, business owner advisory, family governance, risk management, and family office administration, backed by NEPC.
- Hightower Signature Wealth Fully integrated wealth management channel for advisors seeking centralized operational support, lead generation, and differentiated investment capabilities. Manages over $29 billion in client assets across more than 25 locations following acquisitions of Journey Strategic Wealth, Lexington Wealth Management, and The Bahnsen Group.
- Hightower Trust Company Services
Companies that use HighTower Advisors
Customer profileNamed customers14 records
Segments9 records
Ideal customer profiles5 records
HighTower Advisors technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration11 records
AI capability9 records
Feature6 records
HighTower Advisors partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators14 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights7 records
HighTower Advisors competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Focus Financial Partners: PE-backed (Clayton, Dubilier & Rice) mega-RIA aggregator with a similarly affiliate-practice model serving HNW/UHNW clients. Direct competitor for advisor affiliation and roll-up M&A.
- Mariner Wealth Advisors: PE-backed (Bain Capital) mega-RIA offering wealth advisory, family office, and institutional services. Direct competitor that reportedly declined to bid on Hightower in 2026 over cultural-fit concerns.
- Creative Planning: PE-backed (Genstar Capital) mega-RIA providing comprehensive wealth management, tax, estate, and family-office services. Direct competitor for HNW/UHNW clients and reportedly declined to bid on Hightower in 2026.
- Mercer Advisors: PE-backed (Oak Hill Capital) RIA focused on HNW/UHNW households, with deep tax, estate, and trust services. Direct competitor and one of the three most active RIA acquirers alongside HighTower and CAPTRUST.
- CAPTRUST: PE-backed RIA specializing in institutional investment consulting and corporate retirement-plan advisory. Co-leads RIA M&A activity with HighTower and Mercer, making it a direct competitor for both client and acquisition pipelines.
- Cetera Financial Group: PE-backed (Genstar Capital) independent advisor platform serving financial advisors and their clients across wealth management, brokerage, and advisory channels. Comparable affiliate/advisor platform with similar B2B advisor recruiting motion.
- Commonwealth Financial Network: Large independent broker-dealer/RIA serving financial advisors with practice management, technology, and investment solutions. Comparable independent-advisor affiliation model targeting similar advisor recruitment.
- Edelman Financial Engines: Large national RIA serving mass-affluent and HNW investors with goals-based financial planning and investment management. Comparable comprehensive wealth advisory model at scale.
Broad incumbents
- LPL Financial: Largest independent broker-dealer in the U.S., providing custody, clearing, technology, and compliance to ~22,000 advisors. Broad incumbent serving similar advisors and clients across a much wider footprint than HighTower.
- Raymond James Financial: Diversified financial services firm with a large Private Client Group serving advisors and HNW clients. Broad incumbent offering wealth management, banking, and capital markets capabilities that overlap with HighTower's HNW advisory offering.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat6 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
HighTower Advisors social profiles
Digital presenceHighTower Advisors compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance6 records
HighTower Advisors financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
HighTower Advisors leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles20 records
HighTower Advisors subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries13 records
HighTower Advisors funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds6 records
Investors5 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
HighTower Advisors M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A10 records
Investments17 records
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about HighTower Advisors
What does HighTower Advisors do?
HighTower Advisors operates a national registered investment adviser (RIA) platform that partners with 100+ independent wealth advisory practices across 33-34 U.S. states, delivering fiduciary wealth management, investment advisory, family office, trust, and brokerage services to high-net-worth and ultra-high-net-worth clients. The firm consolidates approximately $353.7B in client assets through affiliated advisor practices, an in-house Investment Solutions division, the Signature Wealth integrated channel, the Hightower Trust Company, and the Hightower Securities broker-dealer subsidiary.
Is HighTower Advisors a public or private company?
HighTower Advisors is a private company. It is classified as private equity controlled and is currently operating.
When was HighTower Advisors founded?
HighTower Advisors was founded in 2008. It employs 501 to 1,000 people.
Where is HighTower Advisors based?
HighTower Advisors is headquartered in Chicago, United States, in the North America region.
How does HighTower Advisors make money?
Five revenue lines are on record. Investment advisory fees (AUM-based) is the primary driver. The others are brokerage commissions, trust and fiduciary services, family office and wealth planning services and corporate 401(k) consulting and cash management.
Who are HighTower Advisors's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Focus Financial Partners, Mariner Wealth Advisors, Creative Planning, Mercer Advisors, CAPTRUST, Cetera Financial Group, Commonwealth Financial Network and Edelman Financial Engines. Broad incumbents are LPL Financial and Raymond James Financial.
Does HighTower Advisors have an API?
No public API is recorded for HighTower Advisors.
What industry is HighTower Advisors in?
HighTower Advisors's product category is Wealth Management. Its primary akta.pro industry code is FSAAACAA, Comprehensive/Full-Service RIAs & Independent Wealth Managers, with a secondary code of FSAAACAG, Institutional Consulting RIAs (OCIO/Endowments/Foundations/Pensions). Its NAICS code is 523940 and its SIC code is 6282.