BlackRock

BlackRock, Inc. is an American multinational investment company. Founded in 1988, initially as an enterprise risk management and fixed income institutional asset manager, BlackRock is the world's largest asset manager, with US$10 trillion in assets under management as of December 31, 2023. Headquartered at 50 Hudson Yards in Midtown Manhattan, New York City, BlackRock has 78 offices in 38 countries, and clients in 100 countries. BlackRock is the manager of the iShares group of exchange-traded funds, and along with The Vanguard Group and State Street, it is considered to be one of the Big Three index fund managers. Its Aladdin software keeps track of investment portfolios for many major financial institutions and its BlackRock Solutions division provides financial risk management services. As of 2023, BlackRock was ranked 229th on the Fortune 500 list of the largest United States corporations by revenue.
blackrock

Some of the key events about BlackRock

  • 1988
    Founded as a risk management and fixed income institutional asset manager
  • 1988
    Faced criticism for aggressive trading strategies in mortgage-backed securities during savings and loan crisis
  • 1999
    Launched its first retail mutual funds
  • 2000
    Acquired State Street Research & Management, expanding its mutual fund business
  • 2006
    Merged with Merrill Lynch Investment Managers, significantly expanding its global presence
  • 2008
    Acquired Barclays Global Investors, raising concerns about market concentration
  • 2009
    Acquired Barclays Global Investors, becoming the world's largest asset manager
  • 2009
    Received controversy for managing toxic assets from Bear Stearns and AIG bailouts
  • 2012
    Launched the iShares Core series, offering low-cost ETFs to retail investors
  • 2012
    Fined $340,000 by the SEC for improperly disclosing conflicts of interest
  • 2014
    Criticized for potential conflicts of interest in its stock analyses and corporate governance research
  • 2015
    Acquired FutureAdvisor, entering the digital wealth management space
  • 2015
    Fined $12 million by the SEC for failing to disclose a conflict of interest
  • 2017
    Launched the Aladdin Risk for Wealth Management platform, extending its risk management technology to financial advisors
  • 2017
    Faced scrutiny for its dual role as both shareholder and advisor to companies
  • 2018
    Criticized for inadequate oversight of gun manufacturers in its index funds
  • 2019
    Investigated by Congress for potential anticompetitive behavior in the ETF market
  • 2020
    Committed to make sustainability its new standard for investing
  • 2020
    Faced backlash for inconsistencies between climate change rhetoric and fossil fuel investments
  • 2021
    Launched the BlackRock Impact Opportunities Fund to support businesses and projects owned by underrepresented groups

Disclaimer: This material is written based on information taken from open sources, including Wikipedia, news media, podcasts, and other public sources.

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