Longevity is one of the most powerful trends shaping the 21st century. In 1965, global life expectancy was around 55 years. Today it’s over 70, and in some regions, people can expect to live well into their 80s or 90s. By 2050, more than a quarter of the populations of Europe, North America, and Asia-Pacific will be over 65.
This demographic wave is sometimes framed as a looming crisis – shrinking workforces, stressed pension systems, rising healthcare costs. But another way to see it is as a catalyst: a chance for innovation, growth, and smart investing. Entire industries are springing up to support this extension in lifespans. From healthcare breakthroughs to new forms of leisure, from elder care services to financial products designed for multigenerational families, the longevity economy is set to reshape markets in the coming decades.
Why wealth must last longer
Think of your wealth as the fuel that keeps you moving along the ribbon of life. If the ribbon stretches longer, you need more or at least smarter fuel to ensure you don’t run out before the end.
Traditional retirement planning assumed 10-15 years after leaving the workforce. Today, it could easily be 25-30. Inflation makes this even trickier. A retirement nest egg of CHF 100,000 today could lose nearly 40% of its purchasing power over 25 years, even at modest inflation rates. That means money left in cash or low-yield accounts quietly erodes in real value.
Instead, portfolios must work harder, balancing growth to keep pace with inflation, resilience to weather market shocks, and flexibility to adapt to shifting needs across decades. Longevity investing isn’t only about living longer, but living well: funding experiences, protecting health, and supporting family legacies.
From vitality to vulnerability: the two phases of the ribbon
Another key to longevity investing is recognising the two distinct phases of later life. The first is the ‘healthspan’ – those years of vitality, travel, hobbies, and independence. This phase may last decades, and it often brings high discretionary spending on wellness, leisure, and even second careers. The second is the ‘sickspan’ – a shorter, often more expensive phase where healthcare, assisted living, or long-term care dominate financial needs.
Both phases require different strategies: growth and liquidity for the healthspan, stability, and planning for the sickspan. By investing with both stages in mind, families can make sure their wealth supports not only freedom and joy, but also security and dignity.
Where to invest: the longevity economy
So where can investors find opportunities in this megatrend? The ribbon of longevity touches almost every sector, but certain themes stand out.
Healthcare and biotech innovation are vital, with demand rising for treatments, devices, and digital solutions addressing age-related conditions. Elder care and retirement infrastructure are also growing, from assisted living and home care to technologies that support daily independence.
Meanwhile, lifestyle industries – from beauty and wellness to travel and leisure – are buoyed by older adults seeking vitality and experiences. Financial planning and products, such as longevity-focused exchange-traded funds or insurance solutions, provide investors both access to this theme and tools for their own needs.
Each of these areas forms another loop in the ribbon of longevity: interconnected, resilient, and expanding.
Private markets also play a role. Once considered unsuitable for older investors, they are increasingly accessible, offering exposure to biotech start-ups, senior-friendly real estate, and other long-term opportunities. For ultra-high-net-worth families, these investments add diversification and growth, helping wealth keep pace with the lengthening ribbon of life.
Longevity’s impact on families and legacy
Investing for longevity isn’t just about individuals. It reshapes families, too. Where wealth once supported two generations, it may now span four or even five. Grandparents are increasingly alive to see great-grandchildren reach adulthood, which changes how inheritance, gifting, and philanthropy are structured.
This multigenerational dynamic makes family governance and estate planning more critical. More generations mean more voices, more values, and sometimes more complexity. Longevity investing must therefore consider not only markets, but also legacy, ensuring that the ribbon of family wealth remains intact, aligned, and purposeful across decades.
Investing for a longer, better life
To bring it all together: longevity investing is not simply about funding a longer retirement. It’s about harnessing one of the defining megatrends of our time. By positioning wealth along the ribbon of life – balancing growth, resilience, and innovation – investors can ensure their money lasts as long as they do, and ideally, longer.
This means:
- Capturing growth in healthcare, elder care, beauty, and leisure.
- Planning for inflation by moving beyond cash into diversified portfolios.
- Exploring private markets for innovation and diversification.
- Designing wealth structures that can sustain families across multiple generations.
Longevity is not a crisis, but a catalyst. It’s a call to think boldly, invest wisely, and align wealth with the possibility of decades more life. With the right strategy, investors can ensure that both their health and their wealth remain vibrant companions on the journey.