The BlackRock Story

PNC Tombstone

After months of negotiations in 1995 with Blackstone leadership, Larry Fink looked to his friend and Lazard banker, Ken Wilson to create BlackRock Financial Management. Ken leveraged his deep industry relationships to negotiate a favorable purchase agreement with PNC Bank, creating a dynamic partnership that would set the tone for the future of BlackRock as a global leader in asset management.

BlackRock’s merger with PNC Bank in 1995 brought to the firm expanded capabilities and distribution, setting the pace for the future of BlackRock as a global leader in asset management.

Globe

This globe marked the launch in 2007 of the BlackRock Global Equity Income trust, which sought high levels of income and gains from dividend-paying stocks.

BlackRock Strategic Trust sales guide

BlackRock Strategic Trust. The fund would later be branded as the BlackRock Strategic Term Trust and served as the framework for future fixed income open-end products. 

Under the Blackstone umbrella in 1990, the founders of BlackRock Strategic Term Trust. The fund would later be branded as the BlackRock Strategic Term Trust and served as the framework for future fixed income open-end products.

BlackRock’s founders photo

BlackRock was founded in 1988 by Larry Fink, Rob Kapito, Sue Wagner, Barbara Novick, Ben Golub, Hugh Frater, Ralph Schlosstein and Keith Anderson. From the beginning, BlackRock’s mission has been “to create a better financial future for our clients.”

First print advertisement

This is one of BlackRock’s first print advertisements, which appeared in The Wall Street Journal in 1994. BlackRock was originally known primarily as a boutique fixed income manager. The advertisement features senior fixed income portfolio managers Rob Kapito and Keith Anderson, among others.

New York Stock Exchange post-IPO

In October 1999, BlackRock went public with broad employee ownership, and the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) invited its founders to ring the opening bell.

The Wall Street Journal advertisement

This full-page advertisement announcing the merger between BlackRock and Merrill Lynch Investment Managers appeared in The Wall Street Journal on Tuesday, October 3, 2006. The advertisement focused on all the benefits of investing with BlackRock – its technology, global perspective, and the passion, integrity and sharp minds of employees at the firm. It concluded with the tagline “Opportunity favors the prepared mind.”

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