BlackRock Disclaimer

Intro

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Post Show Musings

Outro

Larry Fink is one of the most influential people on the planet. His firm BlackRock mints money. Billions of dollars a year. Their risk management platform handles more than $10 trillion a year. He helped guide the country out of the financial crisis in 2009 and positioned his company to grow unfettered by the very regulatory authorities he advised at the time. He’s by all accounts funny, affable, competitive and compassionate. BlackRock is at the center of a storm in conservative media for pushing companies too hard toward sustainability. That he’s too “woke.” Liberals think he’s behind the housing crisis. Conspiracy theorists believe he’s in the pocket of the Chinese government. The real story of BlackRock is bigger, more mundane and just as terrifying. 

Visit the episode's accompanying site page.

Chapters

BlackRock Disclaimer: 00:00:05

Intro: 00:02:24

Chapter One: Bank or no bank? You decide. 00:05:31

Chapter Two: Birth of a giant. 00:13:12

Chapter Three: Just how big is BlackRock? 00:24:20

Chapter Four: The ESG Hullabaloo. 00:31:46

Chapter Five: Bring it home, Max. 00:40:11

Post Show Musings: 00:50:48

Outro: 01:09:20

Resources

Vanity Fair: Larry Fink’s $12 Trillion Shadow

BlackRock: 2021 Annual Report

Policy Tensor: Seeing Like BlackRock

Insider: Here are 9 fascinating facts to know about BlackRock, the world’s largest asset manager

Bloomberg: Biden Ties to BlackRock Deepen With Latest Treasury Hire

Wall Street Journal: One Firm Getting What It Wants in Washington: BlackRock

OpenSecrets: BlackRock Inc

Office of Financial Research: Asset Management and Financial Stability, September 2013

Bloomberg: In Fink We Trust: BlackRock Is Now ‘Fourth Branch of Government’

BlackRock: Sustainable investing at BlackRock

Banking On Climate Change: The Worst Banks Since the Paris Agreement

The Bureau of Investigative Journalism: BlackRock Tells Oil Regulator: Ignore Our CEO’s Climate Pledges

Florida State Board of Administration: August 23, 2022 Meeting

Politico: Wall Street opens its checkbook for Ron DeSantis

Sierra Club: Maine becomes the first state to pass law to divest from fossil fuels

Morgan Stanley Institute For Sustainable Investing: Sustainable Reality

BlackRock: BlackRock and housing: Setting the record straight

The Atlantic: BlackRock Is Not Ruining the U.S. Housing Market

Securities and Exchange Commission: Sallie Mae Proxy Statement

Pensions & Investments: Nestle moves pension assets to BlackRock as it reorganizes internal management unit

CNN Business: Nestle SA

Investopedia: The Top 5 British Petroleum (BP) Shareholders

CNN Business: Walmart Inc

Fintel: BlackRock Inc. ownership in MCD / Mcdonald's Corp

Bloomberg Markets and Finance: BlackRock CEO Larry Fink on Inflation, ESG Investing

UNFTR Episode Resources

Student Debt.

The Problem with Conscious Capitalism.

Book Love

David Carey and John E. Morris: King of Capital: The Remarkable Rise, Fall, and Rise Again of Steve Schwarzman and Blackstone

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Access the UNFTR Musicless feed by following the instructions at unftr.com/accessibility.

Unf*cking the Republic is produced by 99 and engineered by Manny Faces Media (mannyfacesmedia.com). Original music is by Tom McGovern (tommcgovern.com). The show is written by BlackRock. Or is it Blackstone? And hosted by Blackstone. Or is it BlackRock?

Podcast art description: Image of the US Constitution ripped in the middle revealing white text on a blue background that says, "Unf*cking the Republic."

Larry Fink is one of the most influential people on the planet. His firm BlackRock mints money. Billions of dollars a year. Their risk management platform handles more than $10 trillion a year. He helped guide the country out of the financial crisis in 2009 and positioned his company to grow unfettered by the very regulatory authorities he advised at the time. He’s by all accounts funny, affable, competitive and compassionate. BlackRock is at the center of a storm in conservative media for pushing companies too hard toward sustainability. That he’s too “woke.” Liberals think he’s behind the housing crisis. Conspiracy theorists believe he’s in the pocket of the Chinese government. The real story of BlackRock is bigger, more mundane and just as terrifying. 
<a href="https://www.unftr.com/episodes/unftr74">Visit the episode's accompanying site page.</a>
Chapters
BlackRock Disclaimer: 00:00:05
Intro: 00:02:24
Chapter One: Bank or no bank? You decide. 00:05:31
Chapter Two: Birth of a giant. 00:13:12
Chapter Three: Just how big is BlackRock? 00:24:20
Chapter Four: The ESG Hullabaloo. 00:31:46
Chapter Five: Bring it home, Max. 00:40:11
Post Show Musings: 00:50:48
Outro: 01:09:20
Resources
Vanity Fair: <a href="https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2010/04/fink-201004">Larry Fink’s $12 Trillion Shadow</a>
BlackRock: <a href="https://s24.q4cdn.com/856567660/files/doc_financials/2021/ar/online/pdfs/BlackRock_2021_AR_Complete_040822.pdf">2021 Annual Report</a>
Policy Tensor: <a href="https://policytensor.substack.com/p/seeing-like-blackrock?utm_source=url">Seeing Like BlackRock</a>
Insider: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/what-to-know-about-blackrock-larry-fink-biden-cabinet-facts-2020-12">Here are 9 fascinating facts to know about BlackRock, the world’s largest asset manager</a>
Bloomberg: <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-08-11/biden-ties-to-blackrock-deepen-with-latest-treasury-hire?leadSource=uverify%20wall">Biden Ties to BlackRock Deepen With Latest Treasury Hire</a>
Wall Street Journal: <a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/one-firm-getting-what-it-wants-in-washington-blackrock-1461162812">One Firm Getting What It Wants in Washington: BlackRock</a>
OpenSecrets: <a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/orgs/blackrock-inc/summary?id=D000021872">BlackRock Inc</a>
Office of Financial Research: <a href="https://www.financialresearch.gov/reports/files/ofr_asset_management_and_financial_stability.pdf">Asset Management and Financial Stability, September 2013</a>
Bloomberg: <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-05-21/how-larry-fink-s-blackrock-is-helping-the-fed-with-bond-buying?leadSource=uverify%20wall">In Fink We Trust: BlackRock Is Now ‘Fourth Branch of Government’</a>
BlackRock: <a href="https://www.blackrock.com/ch/individual/en/themes/sustainable-investing">Sustainable investing at BlackRock</a>
Banking On Climate Change: <a href="https://www.bankingonclimatechaos.org/#data-panel">The Worst Banks Since the Paris Agreement</a>
The Bureau of Investigative Journalism: <a href="https://www.thebureauinvestigates.com/stories/2022-03-09/blackrock-tells-oil-regulator-ignore-our-ceos-climate-pledges">BlackRock Tells Oil Regulator: Ignore Our CEO’s Climate Pledges</a>
Florida State Board of Administration: <a href="https://www.sbafla.com/fsb/Portals/FSB/Content/Trustees/2022/FINAL%20Combined%20Cabinet%20Materials_August%2023,%202022.pdf">August 23, 2022 Meeting</a>
Politico: <a href="https://www.politico.com/newsletters/morning-money/2022/08/23/wall-street-opens-its-checkbook-for-ron-desantis-00053214">Wall Street opens its checkbook for Ron DeSantis</a>
Sierra Club: <a href="https://www.sierraclub.org/maine/blog/2021/06/maine-becomes-first-state-pass-law-divest-fossil-fuels">Maine becomes the first state to pass law to divest from fossil fuels</a>
Morgan Stanley Institute For Sustainable Investing: <a href="https://www.morganstanley.com/content/dam/msdotcom/ideas/sustainable-investing-offers-financial-performance-lowered-risk/Sustainable_Reality_Analyzing_Risk_and_Returns_of_Sustainable_Funds.pdf">Sustainable Reality</a>
BlackRock: <a href="https://www.blackrock.com/us/individual/insights/buying-houses-facts">BlackRock and housing: Setting the record straight</a>
The Atlantic: <a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2021/06/blackrock-ruining-us-housing-market/619224/">BlackRock Is Not Ruining the U.S. Housing Market</a>
Securities and Exchange Commission: <a href="https://www.salliemae.com/content/dam/slm/writtencontent/Reports/investors/SLM-2022-Proxy-Statement-4-28-22.pdf">Sallie Mae Proxy Statement</a>
Pensions &amp; Investments: <a href="https://www.pionline.com/article/20170525/ONLINE/170529926/nestle-moves-pension-assets-to-blackrock-as-it-reorganizes-internal-management-unit">Nestle moves pension assets to BlackRock as it reorganizes internal management unit</a>
CNN Business: <a href="https://money.cnn.com/quote/shareholders/shareholders.html?symb=NSRGY&amp;subView=institutional">Nestle SA</a>
Investopedia: <a href="https://www.investopedia.com/articles/insights/062016/top-5-british-petroleum-shareholders-bp.asp">The Top 5 British Petroleum (BP) Shareholders</a>
CNN Business: <a href="https://money.cnn.com/quote/shareholders/shareholders.html?symb=WMT&amp;subView=institutional">Walmart Inc</a>
Fintel: <a href="https://fintel.io/so/us/mcd/blackrock">BlackRock Inc. ownership in MCD / Mcdonald's Corp</a>
Bloomberg Markets and Finance: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BnNbZmE3beA">BlackRock CEO Larry Fink on Inflation, ESG Investing</a>
UNFTR Episode Resources
<a href="https://www.unftr.com/episodes/unftr60">Student Debt.</a>
<a href="https://www.unftr.com/episodes/unftr22">The Problem with Conscious Capitalism.</a>
Book Love
David Carey and John E. Morris: <a href="https://bookshop.org/a/23377/9780307886026">King of Capital: The Remarkable Rise, Fall, and Rise Again of Steve Schwarzman and Blackstone</a>
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If you like #UNFTR, please leave us a rating and review on Apple Podcasts: <a href="https://unftr.com/rate">unftr.com/rate</a> and follow us on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/Unfucking-The-Republic-102319714930389">Facebook</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/unftrpod">Twitter</a> and <a href="https://www.instagram.com/unftrpod/">Instagram</a> at @UNFTRpod. Visit us online at <a href="https://www.unftr.com/">unftr.com</a>.
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Visit our bookshop.org page at <a href="https://bookshop.org/shop/UNFTRpod">bookshop.org/shop/UNFTRpod</a> to find the full UNFTR book list, and find book recommendations from our Unf*ckers at<a href="https://bookshop.org/lists/unf-cker-book-recommendations"> bookshop.org/lists/unf-cker-book-recommendations</a>.
Access the UNFTR Musicless feed by following the instructions at <a href="https://www.unftr.com/accessibility">unftr.com/accessibility</a>.
Unf*cking the Republic is produced by 99 and engineered by Manny Faces Media (<a href="https://www.mannyfacesmedia.com">mannyfacesmedia.com</a>). Original music is by Tom McGovern (<a href="http://www.tommcgovern.com/">tommcgovern.com</a>). The show is written by BlackRock. Or is it Blackstone? And hosted by Blackstone. Or is it BlackRock?
Podcast art description: Image of the US Constitution ripped in the middle revealing white text on a blue background that says, "Unf*cking the Republic."

Unf*cking The Republic® (UNFTR) is dedicated to progressive politics, leftist economic theories, and social justice in the United States. Join us for deep dives into socialism, labor rights, climate justice, and the fight against inequality. Whether you're curious about Marxist ideas, modern social movements, or progressive policies, UNFTR delivers thoroughly sourced critiques, analyses, and interviews with the historical context mainstream media won't provide. Subscribe for informative and unabashedly progressive coverage of the leftist political and economic landscape.

Unf*cking The Republic&reg; (UNFTR) is dedicated to progressive politics, leftist economic theories, and social justice in the United States. Join us for deep dives into socialism, labor rights, climate justice, and the fight against inequality. Whether you're curious about Marxist ideas, modern social movements, or progressive policies, UNFTR delivers thoroughly sourced critiques, analyses, and interviews with the historical context mainstream media won't provide. Subscribe for informative and unabashedly progressive coverage of the leftist political and economic landscape.