BlackRock: the Company That Controls* the World's Governments

BlackRock, Inc. (sometimes called simply BlackRock), is an American multinational investment company based in New York City. 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$9.42 trillion in assets under management as of June 30, 2023.[2] BlackRock operates globally with 70 offices in 30 countries, and clients in 100 countries.[1] 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.[3][4] Its Aladdin software keeps track of investment portfolios for many major financial institutions and its BlackRock Solutions division provides financial risk management services.[5] BlackRock is ranked 184th on the Fortune 500 list of the largest United States corporations by revenue.[6]

BlackRock has sought to position itself as an industry leader in environmental, social, and corporate governance (ESG). It has been criticized by some for investing in companies that are involved in fossil fuels, the arms industry, the People's Liberation Army and human rights violations in China. Others have scrutinized BlackRock for its efforts to reduce its investments in companies that have been accused of contributing to climate change and gun violence and its promotion of gender diversity; the U.S. states of West Virginia, Florida, and Louisiana have divested money away from or refuse to do business with the firm because of its ESG policies. The company has also faced criticism for its close ties with the Federal Reserve during the COVID-19 pandemic and for anti-competitive practices due to its significant ownership stakes in many companies.