FinancePaper Trail research

BlackRock

BlackRock is a global investment manager and financial-technology provider serving institutional and individual clients.

At a Glance

Highlights from available records. Missing information does not mean an activity did not occur.

Industry

Finance

Organization classification recorded by Paper Trail.

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About This Organization

BlackRock manages investment products and portfolios for institutions and individuals and provides investment and risk-management technology through its broader platform.

Documented timeline

Company History & Government Roots

Trace how this company developed and how its relationship with government, public funding, federal research, contracts, acquisitions, and political institutions evolved over time.

1988

BlackRock president Rob Kapito co-founded the company in 1988 and assumed his current corporate leadership title in 2007

BlackRock president Rob Kapito co-founded the company in 1988 and assumed his current corporate leadership title in 2007. 62

Founded

Sources

BlackRock, Inc. — Influence Watch ↗

1988

BlackRock was founded in 1988 and went public in 1999, using its proprietary risk management technology Aladdin to attract investo

BlackRock was founded in 1988 and went public in 1999, using its proprietary risk management technology Aladdin to attract investors. By the end of 1999, BlackRock was overseeing more than $165 billion in assets. 8

Founded

Sources

BlackRock, Inc. — Influence Watch ↗

2012

One of BlackRock’s most impactful technology and investment developments was the purchase of iShares from Barclay’s in 2012

One of BlackRock’s most impactful technology and investment developments was the purchase of iShares from Barclay’s in 2012. 16 The program manages exchange-traded funds, or ETFs, which have lower investor costs, tax advantages, and overall greater investment gain than conventional mutual funds. 8 17 iShares ETFs helped BlackRock exceed $7 trillion in assets under management in 2019 and drove investor confidence in the company’s stock at the beginning of 2020. 18

Technology Origins

Sources

BlackRock, Inc. — Influence Watch ↗

April 15, 2020

An April 15, 2020 letter from conservative leaders and right-leaning corporate CEOs urged BlackRock CEO Larry Fink to reconsider B

An April 15, 2020 letter from conservative leaders and right-leaning corporate CEOs urged BlackRock CEO Larry Fink to reconsider BlackRock’s ESG focus. By mixing the concerns of ESG stakeholders with those of shareholders—the latter to whom BlackRock has fiduciary duties—letter signers claimed Fink was causing three levels of harm: 3

Sources

BlackRock, Inc. — Influence Watch ↗

2020

BlackRock’s dedication to ESG principles hasn’t protected it from criticism on the U

BlackRock’s dedication to ESG principles hasn’t protected it from criticism on the U.S. political left. The company renamed its impact funds to ESG in 2020 after being criticized for having investments in tobacco and oil. 48 48

Government Roots Federal Government Rebrand

Sources

BlackRock, Inc. — Influence Watch ↗

May 2020

As of May 2020, BlackRock had 70 offices located in 30 countries

Its major clients have included, but are not limited to, the Bank of Ireland, AIG, the Bank of Greece, and UBS. The company regularly partners with international corporations like Google and Morgan Stanley. 13 In the firm’s 2019 annual report CEO Larry Fink stated BlackRock would be heavily investing in China because of trillions of dollars in potential assets to be managed. 14

Sources

BlackRock, Inc. — Influence Watch ↗

2024

Members of BlackRock's leadership team who contributed towards the company's PAC during the 2024 election cycle

FEC filings show that members of BlackRock's leadership team who contributed towards the company's PAC during the 2024 election cycle include Larry Fink, the company's board chair and CEO; Samara Cohen, the chief investment officer for the company's ETF and Index Investments; Sudhir Nair, the global head of the company s tech platform Aladdin; and Manish Mehta, the head of BlackRock Global Markets and Index Investments. In addition, filings show Fink donated $5,000 towards the company PAC between January 2023 and October 2024 while donating a $11,600 grant towards a joint fundraising committee that was split between House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) and the campaigns of several congressional Democrats. In the same cycle, Fink has personally donated to other congressional races and their super PACS including Rep. Bryan Steil (R-WI), Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va), Sen. Mark Warner (D-Va), Sen. John Tester, (D-MT), and Senate Banking Committee Chair Sherrod Brown (D-OH).

Founded

Sources

BlackRock, Inc. — Influence Watch ↗

2025

In January 2025, it was announced by BlackRock CEO Larry Fink that the company would be withdrawing from the Net Zero Asset Managers

The Net Zero Asset Managers was an initiative of corporations and their heads to commit to programs that would work towards the goal of net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. In addition, the company announced the reversal of several ESG policies and proposals it had previously enacted. In addition, according to a March 2025 story by the Wall Street Journal, the company s February 2025 annual report had all mentions of DEI removed while the company later announcing it would end aspirational workforce representation goals due to “[s]ignificant changes to the U.S. legal and policy environment.” 40

Government Roots Federal Government

Sources

BlackRock, Inc. — Influence Watch ↗

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Editorial context

Why It Is Included

Included because its scale, institutional investment role, and connections to public pension funds and other public institutions make it relevant to understanding public money and institutional power.

Paper Trail research

Why you may have heard of it

BlackRock is widely known as a large global asset manager and as the company behind the iShares exchange-traded fund business.

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Corporate structure

What does BlackRock control?

Business segments, subsidiaries, joint ventures, and acquired companies connected to the parent organization.

Legal-subsidiary lists are drawn from reviewed SEC Exhibit 21 filings. Companies may omit subsidiaries that are not considered significant under SEC reporting rules, so these lists are not necessarily exhaustive.

Legal subsidiaries286

Acero Holdings I LLC

Delaware

BlackRock

At a Glance

Industry

About This Organization

Company History & Government Roots

BlackRock president Rob Kapito co-founded the company in 1988 and assumed his current corporate leadership title in 2007

BlackRock was founded in 1988 and went public in 1999, using its proprietary risk management technology Aladdin to attract investo

One of BlackRock’s most impactful technology and investment developments was the purchase of iShares from Barclay’s in 2012

An April 15, 2020 letter from conservative leaders and right-leaning corporate CEOs urged BlackRock CEO Larry Fink to reconsider B

BlackRock’s dedication to ESG principles hasn’t protected it from criticism on the U

As of May 2020, BlackRock had 70 offices located in 30 countries

Members of BlackRock's leadership team who contributed towards the company's PAC during the 2024 election cycle

In January 2025, it was announced by BlackRock CEO Larry Fink that the company would be withdrawing from the Net Zero Asset Managers

Why It Is Included

Why you may have heard of it

Follow the Full Trail

What does BlackRock control?

Important Documents

BlackRock Exhibit 21 — Subsidiaries ↗

Sources

Cite this page

BlackRock Exhibit 21 — Subsidiaries