BlackRock's Shadow Government: Examining the Power and Influence of the World's Largest Asset Manager (2024)

FAQs

How BlackRock became the world's largest asset manager? ›

Key Milestones in BlackRock's Growth

The acquisition of MLIM was a transformative move, nearly doubling BlackRock's AUM and significantly expanding its global reach. This merger positioned BlackRock as one of the world's largest asset management firms.

BlackRock appeals to conspiracy theorists because it is the world's largest asset manager. It invests more than $10trn of other people's money in financial markets, which makes it possible to draw a line between BlackRock and almost anything. It really does own large chunks of very large numbers of companies.

BlackRock is the world's largest asset manager, with US$8.59 trillion in assets under management as of December 31, 2022. This means that BlackRock owns or manages a significant share of many companies, including some of the biggest and most influential ones in various sectors and industries.

As of the first quarter of 2024, the New York City-based asset management company BlackRock had total assets under management (AUM) of around 10.5 trillion U.S. dollars. This compares to 8.59 trillion U.S. dollars of AUM as of 2022.

BlackRock invests the funds of its clients (for example, the owners of iShares exchange-traded fund units) in numerous publicly traded companies, some of which compete with each other. Because of the size of BlackRock's funds, the company is among the top shareholders of many companies.

What We Do | BlackRock. We're committed to helping people find better financial futures – and finding new ways to open the investment world to more people. We invest in businesses large and small – businesses that drive the local economy, connect and power our cities, and innovate to change the world.

BlackRock has recently asserted itself as a leader in the investment industry to promote environmental, social, and governance (ESG) factors on portfolio companies. The Securities Division alleges BlackRock, through its ESG assertions, has repeatedly made false and misleading statements to Mississippi investors.

Blackrock FAQ

No one person or company owns BlackRock. Five institutional investors -- Vanguard, BlackRock, State Street, Bank of America, Vanguard, and Temasek -- own about 25% of the company's stock.

We have zero tolerance in relation to illegal or unethical conduct and this is articulated in our relevant policies, including policies on conflicts of interest, gifts and entertainment, money laundering and counter terrorism, fraud, sanctions, outside activities, political contributions, and bribery and corruption.

Fink is a lifelong supporter of the Democratic Party.

Is BlackRock good or bad? ›

BlackRock currently has an average brokerage recommendation (ABR) of 1.34, on a scale of 1 to 5 (Strong Buy to Strong Sell), calculated based on the actual recommendations (Buy, Hold, Sell, etc.) made by 16 brokerage firms. An ABR of 1.34 approximates between Strong Buy and Buy.

BlackRock forges close relationships with governments to outpace competitors, attracting special benefits and avoiding onerous regulatory standards.

BlackRock (BLK 0.07%): The leading global asset manager held 109 million shares (4.5%) worth about $951 million.

BlackRock has grown from a start-up to a market leader by attracting clients and employees, and by acquiring several other asset management companies.

He is a co-founder, chairman and CEO of BlackRock, an American multinational investment management corporation. BlackRock is the largest money-management firm in the world with more than US$10 trillion in assets under management. In April 2024, Fink's net worth was estimated at US$1.2 billion according to Forbes.