By Kevin Wood, CFP™️ - November 2026

You've spent years building a successful business. You've taken the risks, made the sacrifices and endured the sleepless nights. Now the deal is done, the money is in the bank, and everything you've worked towards has finally paid off.

So why is the question "What now?" surprisingly difficult to answer?

Selling a business for £10 million is an extraordinary achievement.

For many entrepreneurs, it represents the culmination of decades of hard work. The early mornings, missed family occasions, financial uncertainty and relentless responsibility have finally produced the outcome you hoped for.

You're financially successful. Perhaps even financially independent.

But here's something that might surprise you.

The biggest challenge after selling your business may have very little to do with money.

It's working out what you want the money to do for you.

First, resist the temptation to do anything dramatic

When £10 million lands in your bank account, there's an understandable urge to start making decisions.

Invest it. Buy property. Help the children. Pay off the mortgage. Perhaps finally order that Porsche you've been promising yourself.

And why not? You've earned it.

But after years of making rapid decisions and solving problems, one of the most valuable things you can do is give yourself permission to slow down.

You don't need to have all the answers immediately.

Before making significant financial commitments, make sure the proceeds are held safely, any outstanding tax liabilities are understood and you have enough accessible cash for your immediate needs. The protection available for large bank deposits is not unlimited, so where you hold the money deserves careful consideration.

Then take some time to think.

The objective isn't simply to preserve your £10 million.

It's to make sure it improves your life.

£10 million is a lot of money. But is it enough?

The answer, perhaps frustratingly, is: it depends.

Enough for what?

Someone who wants to spend £150,000 a year, travel regularly and enjoy time with their family is in a very different position from someone contemplating multiple luxury properties, private aviation and annual expenditure approaching £1 million.

Neither ambition is inherently right or wrong.

The important thing is understanding what's sustainable.

Let's assume, for illustration, that your £10 million is the amount you have available after taxes and transaction costs.

If you spent £250,000 a year, that's an initial withdrawal of 2.5% of your capital.

Spend £500,000 and that rises to 5%.

Spend £750,000 and you're withdrawing 7.5%.

Those percentages might look relatively modest, but over a retirement potentially lasting 40 or 50 years, the differences are enormous.

Investment returns, inflation, taxation, unexpected expenses and the order in which markets rise and fall will all influence how long your money lasts.

A properly constructed financial plan can model these uncertainties and help you understand what different lifestyles could mean for your future.

The question isn't simply whether you can afford something today. It's whether you can afford everything that matters to you, for the rest of your life.

Don't confuse investing your money with planning your life

One of the first questions entrepreneurs often ask after selling their business is:

"Where should I invest the money?"

It's a sensible question.

But we believe there's a more important one to answer first.

"What do I actually want my life to look like?"

Perhaps you'd like to:

• Spend more time travelling with your partner.

• Help your children onto the property ladder.

• Buy a second home somewhere warm.

• Start another business, but without the pressure of needing it to succeed.

• Support causes that matter to you.

• Work less, exercise more and spend time doing the things you've continually postponed.

Or perhaps you don't know yet.

That's perfectly reasonable.

For years, your business may have provided your structure, purpose, social connections and sense of achievement.

When it's gone, even with £10 million in the bank, something can feel missing.

Financial planning should help you explore those questions, not simply construct an investment portfolio.

Because money, ultimately, is a tool.

And the most important thing about any tool is what it enables you to do.

You've already taken one enormous investment risk

Think about how you created your wealth.

You probably didn't build your business by spreading your time, energy and capital across hundreds of unrelated companies.

You concentrated your efforts on one business, developed an advantage and worked extraordinarily hard to make it successful.

That concentration may have made you wealthy.

But now that you've achieved financial independence, your investment strategy may need to change.

You no longer necessarily need to take the same risks that created your fortune.

Instead, it may be time to build a globally diversified investment portfolio designed around your goals, spending requirements and tolerance for uncertainty.

That doesn't mean avoiding risk altogether. Inflation alone can quietly erode the purchasing power of capital held in cash over long periods.

It means taking risks deliberately, rather than simply because you're accustomed to taking them.

And, importantly, recognising that you don't have to win the financial game twice.

Think carefully about tax, but don't let tax dictate your life

A business sale can create significant tax planning opportunities and obligations.

Depending on the structure and timing of your disposal, you'll need to consider Capital Gains Tax, any available reliefs, outstanding payments, deferred consideration and potential earn-outs.

Once the sale is complete, the focus also shifts towards how your wealth is owned, invested, accessed and eventually transferred to the next generation.

Income Tax, Capital Gains Tax, Inheritance Tax and the use of appropriate investment structures may all become relevant.

Working with your accountant, solicitor and financial planner can help ensure these decisions are coordinated.

But there's an important distinction between sensible tax planning and allowing tax considerations to dictate every decision.

Saving tax is useful.

Living the life you want is the point.

Give your family opportunities, not complications

Selling a business can transform the financial circumstances of your entire family.

Perhaps you'd like to help your children purchase homes, fund your grandchildren's education or provide financial security for future generations.

These can be wonderful uses of wealth.

But significant gifts also raise questions.

How much can you comfortably afford to give away? When should you make those gifts? Should all your children receive the same amounts? What happens if their circumstances are very different?

And how do you help younger generations enjoy financial opportunity without removing their motivation or independence?

These aren't simply questions about trusts, tax allowances or estate planning.

They're questions about family, values and the legacy you'd like to leave.

The right answers will be different for everyone.

What if you never need to work again?

Here's a question we sometimes think entrepreneurs don't spend enough time considering.

If you knew, with a high degree of confidence, that you and your family had enough money for the rest of your lives, what would you do differently?

Would you still work five days a week?

Would you continue pursuing the next business opportunity?

Would you spend more time with your partner, children or grandchildren?

Would you finally take that extended trip you've been talking about for years?

Or might you discover that you genuinely love building businesses and want to do it all over again?

There's no correct answer.

The beauty of genuine financial independence is having the freedom to choose.

You can continue working because you want to, not because you have to.

And that's an enormously valuable distinction.

The danger of becoming the wealthiest person in the cemetery

There's a tendency, particularly among successful entrepreneurs, to keep score.

First it's achieving £1 million.

Then £5 million.

Then £10 million.

Before long, the target becomes £20 million.

Ambition is often what made your business successful in the first place. There's nothing wrong with wanting to create more wealth.

But at some point, it's worth asking whether the pursuit of an ever-larger number is improving your life.

After all, what is the point of accumulating a fortune if you're reluctant to use it?

We've all heard stories of people who worked tirelessly, accumulated substantial wealth and then found they had too little time, health or energy left to enjoy it.

Money can be passed on.

Time cannot.

That doesn't mean being reckless or spending for the sake of it.

It means having the confidence to enjoy the wealth you've worked so hard to create, while knowing your long-term financial security has been properly considered.

Your next chapter could be your best

Selling your business isn't the finish line.

It's the beginning of a different chapter.

One in which success might be measured less by turnover, profit and enterprise value, and more by freedom, experiences, relationships and personal fulfilment.

At Oak Four, we believe great financial planning is about much more than managing money.

It's about helping successful people use their wealth to live extraordinary, meaningful lives.

Yes, we believe in disciplined investing, intelligent tax planning and protecting your family's financial future.

But those are the means, not the end.

Because the real objective isn't to die with the biggest possible bank balance.

It's to look back on a life exceptionally well lived.

Live rich, not die rich.

You've sold your business. What happens next?

If you've recently sold your business, or you're planning an exit in the coming years, we'd welcome a conversation.

At Oak Four, we specialise in helping successful business owners and their families turn substantial wealth into lasting financial independence.

We'll help you understand what's possible, build a strategy around the life you want and give you the confidence to enjoy what you've achieved.

Arrange a confidential conversation with Oak Four

Important information: This article is for general information only and does not constitute personal financial, investment or tax advice. The figures are illustrative, not forecasts or recommendations. Investments can fall as well as rise in value, and tax treatment depends on individual circumstances and may change. Seek appropriate professional advice before making financial decisions.