National recognition underscores sustained leadership in expanding access to private markets and redefining investment management for ultra-high-net-worth families

WINTER PARK, Fla., July 20, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Thomas Ruggie, ChFC®, CFP®, Founder and CEO of Destiny Family Office, has been named InvestmentNews 2026 Advisor of the Year, Alternative Investments for the second consecutive year, a rare distinction that reflects his continued leadership in expanding access to privileged private investments and serving the increasingly complex needs of high-net-worth (HNW) and ultra-high-net-worth (UHNW) families.

Presented at the annual InvestmentNews Awards in New York City, this award recognizes the advisor who has displayed excellence in providing alternative investment solutions, (investments in asset classes other than stocks, bonds and cash), which feature low correlations to traditional asset classes.  

"The modern portfolio has fundamentally shifted. Alternatives are no longer supplemental. They're foundational," said Ruggie, who has positioned himself at the forefront of this evolution, expanding access to privileged alternative investments opportunities for HNW and UHNW investors who have historically been excluded from them, despite their significant resources.

Ruggie believes investors are at a generational inflection point for accessing exceptional late-stage, pre-IPO direct investments in industry disruptors such as OpenAI, Anthropic, Anduril, Databricks, and Whoop.

"I've always believed the best wealth managers don't simply manage portfolios, they solve problems," said Ruggie. "Earning this honor in consecutive years speaks to the commitment our entire team has made to making a meaningful impact on our clients' lives."

Ruggie has become a nationally recognized voice on modern portfolio construction and the strategic role of alternative investments. He educates investors and advisors on private markets, family office strategy, and the role of passion assets within long-term wealth and legacy planning through speaking engagements, articles in leading financial publications, his Significance of Wealth podcast, and Destiny Direct Insights and Significant Collector newsletters.

Over the past year, Ruggie's expanded his private investment platform within Destiny Family Office and is launching an intelligence-rich destination site called Destiny Access, built exclusively for Qualified Purchasers eligible to participate in these differentiated investment opportunities. Destiny Access brings together private market opportunities, proprietary insights, and curated investment intelligence.

Ruggie's firms have further expanded their capabilities by launching Destiny Intelligence, a new AI-focused business dedicated to developing technology purpose-built for wealth advisors by wealth advisors.

National honors include recognition among Forbes Best-in-State Wealth Advisors, Barron's Top 1,500 Financial Advisors, and Forbes Top RIA Firms. Destiny Wealth Partners, another RIA founded by Ruggie, was previously named InvestmentNews RIA Team of the Year (10 Advisors or More).

About Destiny Family Office 
Central Florida-based Destiny Family Office was founded in 2017 to help clients navigate the challenges and complexities of managing significant assets: coordinating advisors, evaluating opportunities, managing risk, planning for transitions, and guiding intergenerational family decision-making. To learn more, visit DestinyFamilyOffice.com.

About Tom Ruggie, ChFC®, CFP® 
Founder & CEO, Destiny Family Office, Destiny Wealth Partners 

Tom Ruggie is a visionary wealth manager, executive, and entrepreneur who's spent more than three decades building one of the country's pre-eminent wealth management organizations, comprised of two independent RIAs, multiple wealth management firms, a multi-family office and various alternative funds. Every solution he offers clients is shaped by a simple question: "What would I want if I were sitting on the other side of the table?" The answer's been refined through decades of experience, continuous learning, and collaboration with some of the world's leading thought leaders through organizations including Strategic Coach, Vistage, EOS and TIGER 21.

About InvestmentNews 
Published by Key Media, InvestmentNews provides investment news and analysis, extensive coverage and expert insights that helps their audience make informed decisions, stay ahead of industry trends and grow their businesses, through news coverage, research, events and multimedia platforms.

Investment advisory services offered through Destiny Family Office, LLC, an SEC Registered Investment Advisor. Alternative/private investments may be illiquid, speculative, and entail a high risk of loss. Not all HNW or UHNW purchasers will be suitable for all opportunities. Rankings and/or recognition by unaffiliated rating services and/or publications should not be construed by a client or prospective client as a guarantee that he/she will experience a certain level of results if Destiny Family is engaged to provide investment advisory services, nor should it be construed as a current or past endorsement of Destiny Family Office by any of its clients. Methodology: InvestmentNews requested initial submissions for entries based on category criteria met during 2025. Finalists (awardees) were selected based on submissions and research performed by InvestmentNews. Awardees then submitted more detailed entries, which were judged by an independent panel of industry leaders, and winners were selected based on a simple points system. No fee was submitted for consideration.

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SOURCE Destiny Family Office