Larry Fink
Born 1952 · Age 73
American billionaire businessman; co-founder, chairman and CEO of BlackRock, the world's largest asset manager.
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Life & Career Timeline
Born in Los Angeles, California
Laurence Douglas Fink was born into a Jewish family in Van Nuys, Los Angeles; mother Lila was an English professor, father Frederick owned a shoe store.
Married Lori Weider
Married his high-school sweetheart, Lori Weider (they later have three children).
Earned BA in Political Science from UCLA
Completed undergraduate degree at the University of California, Los Angeles.
MBA in Real Estate from UCLA Anderson
Received an MBA (concentration in real estate) from UCLA Anderson School of Management.
Joined First Boston as mortgage-backed securities trader
Started career at First Boston in New York, becoming one of the firm's first mortgage-backed security traders and later managing the bond department.
Founded Financial Futures & Options Department at First Boston
At First Boston, Fink started the Financial Futures and Options Department and later headed the Mortgage and Real Estate Products Group.
Department lost $100M at First Boston
His fixed-income group at First Boston lost about $100 million due to an incorrect interest-rate prediction; this experience shaped his risk-management focus.
Co-founded BlackRock (under Blackstone umbrella)
Fink and seven partners founded BlackRock under the corporate umbrella of The Blackstone Group; he became director and CEO.
BlackRock split from Blackstone
BlackRock separated from Blackstone and became independent; Fink retained leadership roles.
Became Chairman of BlackRock
Following BlackRock's independence, Fink became chairman (in addition to CEO).
BlackRock went public (IPO)
BlackRock executed an initial public offering and became a publicly traded asset manager.
Helped negotiate Richard Grasso's NYSE resignation
Assisted in negotiating resignation of NYSE CEO Richard Grasso amid controversy over a $190M pay package.
Purchased Finch Farm in North Salem, NY
Bought Finch Farm from actor Stanley Tucci for $3.7 million, beginning a series of property purchases in the area.
Led merger with Merrill Lynch Investment Managers
Oversaw integration/merger with Merrill Lynch Investment Managers, which doubled BlackRock's asset management portfolio.
BlackRock purchased Stuyvesant Town–Peter Cooper Village ($5.4B)
BlackRock's $5.4 billion purchase of the Manhattan housing complex became the largest U.S. residential real-estate deal; the project later defaulted and some clients lost money.
California Pension lost about $500M on Stuyvesant Town deal
California Pension and Retirement System reportedly lost ~ $500 million as part of BlackRock client losses related to the defaulted project.
Received Golden Plate Award, American Academy of Achievement
Honored with the Golden Plate Award by the American Academy of Achievement.
U.S. government contracted BlackRock after financial crisis
BlackRock was contracted by the U.S. government to aid in managing recovery efforts following the 2008 financial crisis.
Eldest son Joshua served as CEO of Enso Capital
Joshua Fink, Larry's eldest son, was CEO of Enso Capital (a hedge fund), in which Larry Fink had a stake (Enso is now defunct).
Founded Lori and Laurence Fink Center for Finance & Investments at UCLA
Established and served as chairman of the Fink Center at UCLA Anderson School of Management.
BlackRock purchased Barclays Global Investors (BGI)
In December 2009 BlackRock acquired Barclays Global Investors, making it the largest money-management firm in the world.
Compensation: BlackRock paid Fink $23.6M
Reported total compensation paid by BlackRock to Larry Fink in 2010.
Received Woodrow Wilson Award (photographed receiving April 2010)
Photographed receiving a Woodrow Wilson Award in April 2010 (public recognition noted in bio photo).
Mother Lila Fink passed away
Lila Fink (1930–2012), Laurence Fink's mother and an English professor, died in 2012.
Father Frederick Fink passed away
Frederick Fink (1925–2013), Laurence Fink's father and owner of a shoe store, died in 2013.
Received Appeal of Conscience Award and Americas Society Gold Medal
Honored with two awards recognizing leadership and contributions in finance and international relations.
Received ABANA Achievement Award
Award recognizing leadership in banking and finance and cooperation with the Middle East and North Africa.
BlackRock surpassed $5 trillion AUM (approx.)
By 2016 BlackRock had about $5 trillion under management with ~12,000 employees in 27 countries.
Expressed interest in Treasury Secretary post under Hillary Clinton
Reportedly aspired to be Hillary Clinton's Treasury Secretary (publicized in 2016).
Barron’s recognition as 'World's Best CEOs' (multi-year)
Barron's named Fink among the 'World's Best CEOs' for many consecutive years (noted in bios as long-running recognition).
Joined Donald Trump's business advisory forum
Became a member of a business forum assembled by president-elect Trump to advise on economic issues.
Ranked No. 28 on Forbes' World's Most Powerful People
Forbes placed Fink at No.28 on its list of the world's most powerful people.
Cancelled plans to attend Saudi investment conference after Khashoggi murder
Withdrew from an investment conference in Saudi Arabia following the murder of Jamal Khashoggi.
Public confrontation at Yahoo Finance All Markets Summit
In September 2018 an activist from Code Pink confronted Fink on stage over BlackRock's investments in defense-related firms.
2018 annual letter to CEOs pushes stakeholder capitalism
Fink's 2018 letter urged corporations to address environmental and social issues and increase workforce diversity, signaling BlackRock's active investor stance on ESG.
Charles Schwab Financial Innovation Award (2019)
Received the Charles Schwab Financial Innovation Award in recognition of contributions to financial services.
Purchased 27 acres in North Salem from town deputy supervisor
In 2019 Fink acquired a 27-acre parcel in North Salem (one of several adjacent parcels bought over years); reported purchase price $5.4M for one parcel in 2019.
Issued open letter urging CEOs to lead on social issues
In a high-profile 2019 annual letter, Fink urged corporate leaders to think beyond profits and address social and political issues.
Museum of American Finance honored Fink (2019 gala)
Museum of American Finance honored Laurence D. Fink at its 2019 gala alongside Dr. Janet Yellen.
Federal Reserve again used BlackRock during COVID-19 crisis
During the pandemic the Fed turned to BlackRock to help purchase distressed securities, echoing 2008 arrangements.
2020 open letter: announced environmental sustainability as core goal
In his 2020 annual letter to CEOs Fink positioned climate and sustainability as central to BlackRock's investment approach and announced steps like exiting certain thermal coal investments.
BlackRock compensation: Fink paid $36M in 2021
Reported compensation for Fink from BlackRock in 2021 was $36 million.
Named among top 'climate villains' (per The Guardian coverage)
Criticized publicly (The Guardian) for BlackRock's role in profiting from deforestation and other climate impacts.
BlackRock/Hassana paid $15.5B for Aramco gas pipelines (leaseback)
In December 2021 BlackRock teamed with a Saudi asset manager to pay $15.5 billion to buy and lease back gas pipelines to Saudi Aramco.
BlackRock assets crossed $10 trillion (reported)
BlackRock became the largest money-management firm with more than US$10 trillion in assets under management (reported Jan 2022).
2022 annual letter: push for net-zero transition
In his 2022 open letter, Fink emphasized that every company/industry will be transformed by the transition to a net-zero world and urged leadership.
BlackRock AUM reported at $9.42 trillion (June 30, 2023)
Cointelegraph reported BlackRock had $9.42 trillion in assets under management as of June 30, 2023.
Filed for a spot Bitcoin ETF (BlackRock)
Under Fink's leadership BlackRock applied for a spot Bitcoin ETF, a major move into crypto-linked financial products (2023).
Filed for a spot Ether (ETH) ETF (BlackRock)
In November 2023 BlackRock filed with the SEC for a spot Ether ETF, expanding its crypto ETF push.
Public statement on 2024 U.S. presidential election
Fink said that it 'really doesn’t matter' for financial markets whether Donald Trump or Kamala Harris wins (comment in lead-up to 2024 election).
Forbes estimated net worth at US$1.2 billion
In April 2024 Forbes estimated Laurence D. Fink's net worth at approximately $1.2 billion.
Ongoing board and trustee roles (NYU, NYU Langone, MoMA, IRC, Robin Hood)
As of the mid-2020s Fink serves on multiple boards and trustee posts including NYU Board of Trustees, co-chair of NYU Langone Medical Center board, trustee of the Boys & Girls Club of New York, Robin Hood Foundation, Museum of Modern Art and International Rescue Committee.
Serves on board of World Economic Forum (current role)
Fink is a member of the Board of Trustees at the World Economic Forum (position noted as current in sources).
Commented on protectionism returning with force (March 2025)
Following poor US stock performance, Fink warned that 'protectionism has returned with force' amid policy actions by the Trump administration.
Named one of Time's 100 most influential people
Time magazine listed Laurence D. Fink among the world's 100 most influential people in 2025.
Key Achievement Ages
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