Larry Fink

Laurence Douglas Fink was born November 2, 1952, in Los Angeles, California, and was raised in Van Nuys, California, where his mother worked as an English professor and his father owned a shoe store. He earned a BA in political science from UCLA in 1974 and an MBA from UCLA Anderson School of Management in 1976.

Fink started his career in 1976 at First Boston Corporation, where he became one of the youngest managing directors in the firm's history by 1978. During his tenure at First Boston, Fink specialized in mortgage-backed securities and led the bond department. In 1986, his department lost $100 million after interest rates unexpectedly dropped and the hedging positions failed—a defining experience that convinced Fink that comprehensive risk management must form the foundation of any sound investment strategy.

In 1988, Fink left First Boston and cofounded what became BlackRock with seven partners under the umbrella of the Blackstone Group. He became chair in 1998, and the company went public in 1999. In 2006, Fink led a merger with Merrill Lynch Investment Managers that brought BlackRock's assets close to $1 trillion. Even bigger was his decision to buy Barclays Global Investors in 2009, after the 2007–08 financial crisis, for $13.5 billion, which included the iShares family of exchange-traded funds.

Career History

• First Boston Corporation (1976–1988): Member of Management Committee, Managing Director, co-head of Taxable Fixed Income Division
• BlackRock (1988–present): Founder, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer

Fink is known for building BlackRock into the world's largest asset manager and has been named "CEO of the Decade" by Financial News and one of the "World's Best CEOs" by Barron's for 14 consecutive years. He has also emerged as one of the most influential figures in global finance, and his annual letters to CEOs outline what he sees as important business trends. Fink has become a prominent voice on issues of corporate responsibility, climate risk, and stakeholder capitalism.

What Larry Fink could bring to BlackRock: With his foundational expertise in risk management, track record of transformative acquisitions (Merrill Lynch, BGI), and established influence over corporate governance and ESG investing practices, Fink continues to position BlackRock as the dominant global asset manager shaping capital markets and corporate accountability worldwide.