How to Invest $20 Million

When you have $20 million to invest, there are many ways to grow your wealth and earn passive income. This level of wealth typically qualifies you as an accredited investor, giving you access to exclusive asset classes and strategies. Options include building a mixed portfolio of private investments, investing directly in business ventures or startups, exploring art and collectibles or growing wealth through index funds and real estate holdings. Each approach comes with distinct risks, potential returns, and factors that may influence your overall portfolio.

If you have millions to invest, consider working with a financial advisor who specializes in high-net-worth and ultra-high-net-worth clients.

Investing $20 Million in a Mixed Portfolio

With $20 million in hand, you will almost certainly meet the SEC’s threshold for an accredited investor. This opens up entirely new asset classes to you. Hedge funds, private equity, and venture capital are options for high-net-worth investors. These products typically require high minimum investments, often at least $500,000, but they may deliver higher returns.

Hedge Funds

Hedge funds are organized funds, similar to mutual funds. They invest in a portfolio of assets that tries to outperform the market and each investor receives a return proportional to their shares. However, hedge funds can invest in almost any asset class, allowing them to pursue outsized returns across a wide range of investments. In 2024, hedge funds had an average return of 9.68% as measured by the Barclay Hedge Fund Index.

Private Equity

Private equity funds invest in companies that aren’t necessarily publicly traded. This is an equity investment, meaning that the fund buys shares of ownership in the company and then sells those shares for profit. These funds typically invest in privately held companies, seeking investments that the market at large doesn’t have access to. The S&P Listed Private Equity Index, which tracks the performance of 85 private equity companies, posted a 6.35% average annual return between April 2015 and April 2025.

Venture Capital

Venture capital firms also invest in privately traded companies. Unlike private equity funds, venture capital firms focus exclusively on startup companies or businesses aiming to launch new products or services. Venture capital funds rarely post consistent average results because they often invest in high-risk, high-reward ventures. Most funds seek returns of at least three times their initial investment, but also expect that many of their investments will not pay off at all. This is a high-risk, potentially extremely high-reward option.

Investing $20 Million in a Business

Many wealthy investors look to invest in entrepreneurship and startup companies. This is, essentially, the business model of a venture capital firm on a smaller scale.

When you invest in business creation, you’re looking to get in on the ground floor of something potentially great. The best-case scenario is meeting a young Steve Jobs who wants to tell you all about this computer he’s building. You invest money in their company in exchange for a share of ownership or a portion of future profits. If the company does well, you make your money back. If it does not, you don’t.

Startup investing can be the biggest lottery ticket in all of finance, both good and bad. If you invest in the right company, there are few—if any—more profitable options. Not only do you get the financial rewards of a sound investment but you get to take the thrill ride of launching a new company. That alone can be worth the money.

Just remember, if you invest in the wrong company it’s very easy to lose your entire investment.

Investing $20 Million in Direct Real Estate

Real estate products like REITs allow investors to access the real estate market by purchasing shares in various projects. The portfolio will own several underlying properties, which typically generate income through rent and other business ventures, and the portfolio’s returns represent those profits. People can access real estate markets without making a down payment, but they must share profits with other investors.

With significant liquidity at your back you can go right to the source.

As a large investor you can buy real estate directly, purchasing assets like office buildings, rental properties, homes and more. As a large investor, you can often secure more favorable terms from banks on mortgages, making property acquisition less expensive. This lets you buy and manage real estate directly, collecting all the profits.

Putting $20 Million into Art and Antiquities

Whether we’re talking about paintings, wine, classic cars or even vintage comic books, art and antiquities tend to draw wealthy investors.

From a financial perspective, investors may find art and antiquities offer strong returns, though these markets can be complex. If you buy the right painting and hang it on the wall for a few years you can, sometimes, make huge profits. And some of the classics will almost certainly retain or increase in value. You may not make huge margins with a Picasso, but you can feel pretty confident you won’t lose that money either.

However, this is also an extremely volatile section of the market. While the highest-end products are fairly reliable, most collectibles have volatile, unpredictable values. They are high-risk, high-reward with a lot of unpredictability packaged in the mix.

Investing $20 Million in an S&P 500 Index Fund

Annual returns on an S&P 500 index fund over the past 50 years have averaged around 10%. The market has fluctuated significantly behind these numbers, with years that post returns near 30%, while others take outright losses. But in the long run, the stock market grows. (At least, this has been the case ever since the invention of modern investing and market tracking.) Any index fund which accurately tracks the market will reflect this behavior, and it is not hard for an experienced investor to identify well-structured index funds.

Given this history, index funds returns approach, if not exceed, the average returns offered by hedge funds and private equity. Yet index funds boast those returns without the high risk inherent to individual accredited products. Some hedge funds, for example, can post returns in excess of 12%. However, unlike an index fund, it’s difficult to predict which hedge funds will perform well.

With an average rate of return of approximately 10%, a $20 million portfolio invested in the S&P 500 could grow to nearly $52 million in 10 years.

Before You Start Investing: Get a Good Tax Lawyer

A good tax lawyer is essential for managing any significant amount of wealth. In part this is because they’ll help you navigate many of the personal and professional issues that can arise from managing large amounts of money. In greater part, though, there are very real financial gains.

Managing your taxes gets far more complicated when you have a lot of money. Once your finances shift from savings to wealth, you have both more liabilities and more opportunities throughout the tax code.

Also, consider working with a wealth management firm that specializes in serving ultra-high-net-worth clients.

Bottom Line

If you have $20 million to invest, entirely new sections of the market open up. You can invest in real estate, business creation even art or wine. Just make sure to calculate the risks as well as the potential rewards.

Tips for Investing

A financial advisor can help you put an investment plan into action. SmartAsset’s free tool matches you with vetted financial advisors who serve your area, and you can have a free introductory call with your advisor matches to decide which one you feel is right for you. If you’re ready to find an advisor who can help you achieve your financial goals, get started now.
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