Let’s face it: the world feels like a tinderbox. Between geopolitical tensions in Iran and Israel, economic instability, and the ever-looming specter of global conflict, protecting your wealth isn’t just smart. It’s survival. If history has taught us anything, it’s that during wartime, governments get very creative with asset seizures, sanctions, and emergency taxes.

So, how do the ultra-wealthy sleep soundly while the rest of us doomscroll our social media feeds? Put simply: thoughtfully constructed business and estate structures managed by trusts. Not the flimsy revocable ones your neighbor set up online, but private irrevocable contract trusts. 

To more deeply examine the incredible benefits of these tools, I'm going to cite from our recently released book, "The 7 Secrets of Estates and Trusts".

The Usmanov Case: How Trusts Defy Sanctions and Governments

When the U.S. and EU sanctioned Russian billionaire Alisher Usmanov in 2022, they froze what they could. But they couldn’t touch his $48 million London mansion or $34 million Surrey estate. Why?

Because his assets were held in irrevocable trusts, making them legally untouchable.

Governments can’t seize what you don’t technically own. A properly structured trust removes your name from the title, replacing it with an ironclad contractual framework. No ownership means no liability.

Just ask the Rothschilds, who’ve used this strategy to navigate wars, revolutions, and economic collapses for centuries.

The Rolex Model: Tax-Free, Conflict-Proof, and Built to Last

The Hans Wilsdorf Foundation, a Swiss charitable trust, owns Rolex outright. It operates tax-free, avoids shareholder drama, and laughs in the face of market volatility. Why? Because trusts don’t panic. They don’t get sanctioned. They don’t care about border disputes.

As I said in the book: "The top of the pyramid is understanding entities as cards on the table, to be used or not used, while keeping assets insulated under contract law."

A private trust isn’t just a legal entity. It’s a financial sovereign state, governed by your rules (within the confines of contract law), not geopolitical whims.

WWIII-Proofing Your Wealth: 3 Ways Trusts Outperform Wills and LLCs

1. No Probate, No Problems
Wills get stuck in probate courts for years. Just ask Cousin Timmy, who lost half the family ranch to legal fees. Trusts bypass courts entirely, transferring wealth seamlessly and privately to heirs.

2. Sanction-Proof Structure
Unlike LLCs, which are state-registered and transparent, private trusts operate in the shadows. No public filings. No registries. Just quiet, unassailable ownership.

3. Tax Neutrality
Wars are expensive, and governments fund them by raiding savings, imposing capital controls, or inflating currencies. A non-grantor trust sidesteps this by deferring or eliminating taxable events, letting your wealth grow untouched.

The Bottom Line

The world might be volatile, but your legacy doesn’t have to be. A private irrevocable trust isn’t doom prepping. It’s strategic inevitability. As the book wisely concludes: "The time to repair the roof is when the sun is shining." -JFK

Or, in this case, before the missiles start flying.

If you'd like to kickstart your estate-bulletproofing journey and learn how exactly this could work for you, schedule a free 30-minute Estate and Business Evaluation with our team here.

If you haven't gotten a copy of our free e-book "The 7 Secrets of Estates and Trusts", get it now before it goes to print and you have to buy a paperback and pay for shipping here.