Forbes list of America's top wealth advisers include the names of four Indian-origin persons. The list of 200 members who collectively manage USD 675 billion include Raj Sharma and Ash Chopra, of Merrill Lynch. They are ranked at 17 and 129 respectively.
Sonny Kothari of Merrill Lynch Wealth Management stands at 176, and Raju Pathak of Morgan Stanley Wealth Management is placed at 184. Forbes said the members serve clients ranging from Silicon Valley billionaires and Wall Street majors, to small business owners and family fortunes. "Most great fortunes have their roots in hard work, brilliant business decisions or savvy investing somewhere along the way, but once the money is made, growing, preserving and passing it on to the next generation becomes paramount," Forbes said. "That's where a wealth advisor can come in handy."
Advisers from big wirehouses topped the list, while others focus more on investments and getting clients into exclusive opportunities like top-performing hedge funds or pre-IPO startups. Forbes said, "Each of the 200 advisers on the list have one thing in common: they are trusted to handle the money of wealthy individuals and families, and will do whatever it takes to keep that trust."
