From possession to control: what the “2030 new luxury” looks like

The talk opened with a clear warning: “the clock is ticking”. Lexden Luxe linked the pressure to the largest wealth shift in history, arguing that millennials will hold five times more wealth than today, bringing new expectations into every high value purchase category, yachting included.

The conclusion was simple: if the client changes, the experience must change with them. Brands that continue to operate with legacy assumptions risk building the wrong proposition for the buyers who will shape the market.

Prof. Klaus described a value shift away from possession towards freedom, time, comfort, access, and experience. He summarised the implication for yachting in one line: the new luxury is more control.

For shipyards, management companies, and the broader ecosystem, this reframes the competitive set. Control means reducing friction, making decisions easier, and removing the operational noise that owners have historically been expected to tolerate. In other words, experience becomes a strategic asset.

Sustainability is expected, but distrusted

One of the most direct parts of the presentation focused on sustainability. Prof. Klaus argued that sustainability is now expected by UHNW clients, yet deeply distrusted due to widespread greenwashing skepticism.

He challenged the industry’s reliance on familiar “proof points”. In his framing, activism does not equal credibility and certifications do not automatically generate trust. Instead, he insisted that sustainability must be felt, not explained, citing the sentiment that if brands cared, they would do more and talk less.

That thinking led to the line that landed as a headline in itself: “Sustainability will not save yachting, but credibility will.”

Prof. Klaus then offered a practical way to understand how sustainability and reputation now shape purchase decisions. The key question, he argued, is whether the choice will still make sense in 10 to 20 years, not if “the yacht is sustainable”.

Social legitimacy, ethical legacy, including intergenerational transfer and what the next generation will say, and reputational exposure and public visibility are all factors to account for.

Lexden Luxe and “next practice”

In a line that resonated strongly with the boot audience, he argued that the future of luxury yachting belongs to brands that stop explaining why they are responsible and start building in ways that make responsibility unquestionable.

Positioning Lexden Luxe as the UHNW customer experience advisory boutique, Prof. Klaus explained the firm’s “ahead of time” approach, built from proprietary insight gathering and designed to translate research into implementation.

The session ended with a collaborative note. Lexden Luxe closed with an invitation to the industry to build the future together, emphasising that the winners of the coming cycle will be those who treat experience design and credible responsibility as the foundation of sustainable growth.

Rebecca Gabbi