I’ve just returned from two weeks abroad in Europe, where I spent several days with the Henokiens — perhaps the world’s most exclusive business club.
Founded in 1981, the Henokiens is a small association of family-run companies that have survived at least 200 years, remain in family hands, and continue to thrive today. Membership is currently 60 firms worldwide, which means only a tiny fraction of enterprises in human history qualify.
To sit at their table — as I did for several nights — is to be surrounded by living history: 16th-century vinegar makers, 18th-century jewelers, centuries-old banks and publishers.
Perhaps what surprised me most wasn’t the scale or the wealth: it was the humility.
I’ve spent plenty of time around Fortune 500 CEOs and startup founders; more often than not, those circles are filled with bravado, media spin, and social media posturing. This was a different kind of group. None of the Henokien leaders I met had active Twitter accounts. None sought headlines or fame or gloated in press coverage.
Instead, they were grounded and deeply reflective. Every leader I spoke with emphasized the same truth: survival depends on change, adaptation, and never mistaking legacy for permanence. In other words, humility — more than lineage or fortune — may be the true secret to survival.
