Lives In Trust

Book excerpt: The mature dynasty is as much the sum of complex interests in the culture and production of wealth as it is the story of the prominent family at its origins. This volume examines the full range of interests in the perpetuation of a dynasty and provides a clearer picture of the long-term cultural legacies of such capitalist clans. Ultimately, Marcus and Hall address the question of what makes diversely involved and situated descendants adhere to their ancestral code of family authority, and their answers are fully informed by an understanding of the more complex organization of dynastic culture and wealth. A family story in itself cannot encompass the workings of a mature fortune, because the power and roles of descendants are so often subordinated to the institutional legacies and myths of celebrity that engulf them.