Billionaire Families Swoop In After Private Equity Ditches Shale (1)

Once a relatively rare presence in the US oil industry, firms overseeing the assets of ultra-rich families — including the billionaire dynasties of George Sorosand Carlos Slim — are pouring money into shale.

The sector’s more stable returns after years of boom-and-bust cycles are luring companies that manage the fiscal affairs of deep-pocketed private investors. They’re helping fill a void left by private equity, which is cashing in on a wave of driller acquisitions and shifting to greener investments. Family offices are putting about $15 billion to work in US shale, according to financial services firm Stephens Inc.

That support could ...