It is an overcast morning, and about 20 casually dressed men and women are standing on a terrace enjoying a break from their seminars. Lake Constance glimmers before them, surrounded by pristine Swiss countryside.
The panorama is breathtaking but the delegates are probably used to better. They are mainly billionaires, congregating at this UBS “boot camp” in Wolfsberg and hoping to gain insights into a topic that unites their 10 nationalities — how to pass their wealthto the next generation without family feuds and foolish business decisions.
Here they are stripped of some of the trappings of the super-rich. No staff are allowed. Everyone stays in the same style of hotel room to “create a community”, so there are no suites, just regular rooms with large beds, two comfortable chairs, sleek en-suite bathrooms and local art on the wall.