Newport Summer Party Delivers Classic Cars, Cocktails, and Family Office Camaraderie
One of the highlights of the summer season for the family office world is the Opal Newport Conference, and the peak event for many years is the exclusive Newport Summer Party hosted by Joe Reilly and Jim Leach.
A small gathering for friends that began ten years ago on Leach’s sprawling Malbone estate, the oldest mansion in Newport and one included on the National Register of Historic Homes, has since moved to the dazzling Audrain Museum and become the must have invitation of the conference held annually in breezy Newport. This year’s event exceeded all expectations and was abuzz with the excitement of old and new friends coming together over a cold Dark ‘n Stormy amid some of the most beautifully preserved and powerful American cars of the 1960s.
Where Business Talk Meets Classic Horsepower
While the more business oriented guests huddled in corners discussing inflation and some of the more interesting trends and opportunities they’d picked up throughout the day, rumors also circulated about the ongoing wave of mergers in the RIA world and who might be next to the altar.
Meanwhile, laughter echoed among the Stingrays and Challengers, as lively guests, including Joe Williams and his wife Janine, Alexandra Cohen of the ACU Fund, Pierre du Pont, Dr. Nicholas Perricone, Anne and David Ford, James Rosebush, Alexander Leach, Terry and Leslie Laughren, Michael Gabelli, Rosemary Sagar, Marc Segelnick, Nina Murphy, Marc Lewinstein, Elijah Duckworth-Schachter, and Tom Handler, discussed business, pleasure, and the success of various charitable initiatives they were involved in, including a growing wave of impact efforts spanning education, healthcare, and environmental conservation.
A Setting That Says as Much as the Conversation
What made the evening feel distinct wasn’t just who attended, but where they gathered. Surrounding guests with rows of immaculately restored 1960s muscle cars turned casual industry chatter into something closer to a shared appreciation for craftsmanship and legacy, themes that echoed neatly with a room full of people thinking about long term wealth, family stewardship, and what gets passed down. The setting did as much talking as the guests did.
Seemingly as soon as it began, the energy peaked and guests bid farewell, heading off to their various dinners and yacht cruises, blowing air kisses and exchanging business cards, promising to see one another again next year, if not sooner.
