SAN FRANCISCO, Oct. 16, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Waypoint West , the independent wealth advisor founded earlier this month by siblings Haley and Brooks Schaffer, underscored liquidity planning as a central focus of its offering for founders and builders.

According to the firm's briefing, entrepreneurs and senior employees often hold 70–90 percent of their net worth in company equity. Without careful preparation, more than half of that wealth can be lost to taxes at the point of liquidity. At the same time, companies are remaining private for 10–12 years on average before IPO, more than double the timeline of a generation ago, forcing individuals to manage concentrated positions for longer and seek innovative ways to unlock value.

The firm noted that the challenge is amplified in today's environment, where industries such as artificial intelligence are experiencing rapid transformation. It drew parallels to the dot-com bubble, when companies like AOL and Sun Microsystems were once considered untouchable but eventually faded, while others such as Amazon, Apple, and Microsoft went on to become enduring leaders. The takeaway for founders and employees: concentration can feel safe inside an iconic company, but diversification is what sustains wealth.

Waypoint West stated that the goal of its program is to put structure and strategy around liquidity events, positioning them as turning points for long-term financial independence rather than short-term transactions. The firm emphasized the importance of beginning planning 12 to 24 months ahead, when strategies can be coordinated across a client's full team of advisors, including estate planners, tax specialists, and legal counsel, to maximize after-tax outcomes.

The program highlights a toolkit of public-market solutions that can be customized to client needs, including options-based hedges, exchange funds, custom ETFs and direct indexing, long/short overlays, and, where appropriate, simple sale and reinvest strategies. Waypoint West noted that as an independent RIA operating in an open-architecture framework, it sources across custodians, banks, and counterparties to design the optimal mix for a client rather than relying on a single provider.

The firm also pointed to the rise of private-market liquidity solutions as companies stay private longer. These include secondary sales, NAV or portfolio loans, and structured financing arrangements tied to company performance. While each approach carries trade-offs in terms of cost, complexity, and signaling, Waypoint West said it helps clients evaluate these paths in the context of broader retirement, family, and philanthropic goals.

By positioning liquidity as both a financial and life event, Waypoint West is seeking to fill a gap for founders, builders, and early employees who face unique challenges in converting on-paper wealth into enduring prosperity.

About Waypoint West

Investment advisory services offered through Waypoint West, LLC. Waypoint West is a San Francisco–based registered investment advisor founded by siblings Haley and Brooks Schaffer, the third generation in a family of fiduciaries. Haley previously advised institutional clients and family offices at BlackRock and ICONIQ Capital. Brooks built portfolio solutions for RIAs at BlackRock and later worked at hedge fund and venture firm Alkeon Capital. The firm provides wealth management services for modern founders, creators, and families, integrating values-driven planning with institutional-grade investment strategies.

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