The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania and the Institute for Private Investors (IPI) are launching a networking program for ultra-high-net-worth investors.

The network solidifies what was an informal network composed of investors who have completed the IPI Private Wealth Management (PWM) program, a five-day residential program held each year at the Wharton School

"The professors and I noticed a very natural connection and common interests among the hundreds of investors who've attended the program and we felt ready to launch a formal network," said IPI founder & CEO Charlotte Beyer.

The networking program will be launched through a series of three dinner meetings each year open to anyone who has attended the PWM program. The first dinner will be held in New York City in October with Prof. Richard Marston, director of the program, addressing the investors. The program has been attended by 652 investors from 36 counties since it was formed in 1999.

During the programs investors have learned the theory behind asset allocation, studied how family dynamics and investor personality impact wealth management and examined global economic trends. Investors also learned how to conduct due diligence, more prudently oversee their advisors and money managers and evaluate the performance of hedge funds and other investments.

Marston noted that after investors complete the program, they find they have more questions that need objective answers and this network can help fulfill that need.

IPI is a networking and educational resource for ultra-high-net-worth investors that operates as an independent U.S. subsidiary of Campden Wealth.

-Karen DeMasters