Norway operates the largest SWF in the world—managing more than $2T in assets

The majority of the world's sovereign wealth funds are controlled by nations in Asia and the Middle East

Norway operates the world's single largest sovereign wealth fund, but Asian and Middle Eastern countries operate the rest of the top 10 largest SWFs. The Middle East alone accounts for more than $5T of the world's entire sovereign wealth.

Abu Dhabi operates 6 different sovereign wealth funds—one of which is the most active SWF in the world

Abu Dhabi, the capital district of the United Arab Emirates, manages its own funds distinct from those held by the United Arab Emirates federal government. Like other SWFs in the Middle East, the funds are secretive, but they are estimated to be worth about $1.8T altogether. Mubadala, one of Abu Dhabi's SWFs, became the most active fund in the world in 2024, deploying nearly $30B.

Because of their size, sovereign wealth funds create anxiety about foreign undermining of financial systems

Across the board, sovereign wealth funds have an immense amount of capital, and, therefore, influence in global financial markets. Critics argue that this influence could enable a foreign country to harm another country's financial market by either investing adversely in competitive markets or by withholding critical capital.

Sovereign wealth funds in the Middle East and Asia surged after the 2008 financial crisis.

Alaska's sovereign wealth fund pays people to live in the state through an annual dividend

While the US doesn't operate a federal sovereign wealth fund, several states run SWFs—the most well-known being the Alaska Permanent Fund. Unlike most SWFs, the Alaska Permanent Fund sends cash payments averaging roughly $1.2K each directly to Alaskan residents each year.

Written by 26 sovereign wealth funds in 2008, the 'Santiago Principles' provide generally accepted principles for fund management and governance

Sovereign wealth funds are not regulated, but many of the funds voluntarily follow the Santiago Principles (though, to a varying extent). Some of the principles include transparent financial objectives, clear accountability structures, regular performance reviews, and annual auditing.

China operates multiple different sovereign wealth funds, primarily backed by profits from a trade surplus

Unlike other countries that primarily use profits from natural resources, China's sovereign wealth funds are fueled by the country's mounting trade surplus. Among the two largest are the State Administration of Foreign Exchange (SAFE) fund and the Chinese Investment Corporation (CIC). China also operates the Silk Road Fund, a strategic investment initiative that backs infrastructure creation in developing countries.

In 2025, sovereign wealth funds invested more than $66B into artificial intelligence

Developing artificial intelligence, both from a hardware and software perspective, is time and resource-intensive. Sovereign wealth funds, particularly those in the Middle East, have heavily invested in critical AI infrastructure, like data centers.

In the UK, foreign sovereign wealth funds can claim diplomatic immunity

In 2025, a court in London found that sovereign wealth funds and their executives can claim diplomatic immunity in legal cases, given the funds' foreign ownership and their role in the private sector. The ruling furthered speculation about the ethics of these funds, particularly from countries accused of human rights violations.

Explore a list of the world's largest mutual funds.

The world’s top 10 hedge funds

The world’s top 10 hedge funds based on total assets under management include Ray Dalio’s Bridgewater Associates and Citadel.

Some Ivy Leagues are worth billions of dollars, managing massive endowments to support their operations and investing donations for long-term growth rather than spending them.

A Saudi Arabian sovereign wealth fund divested from LIV Golf after pumping more than $6B into the PGA's controversial rival

The Saudi Arabian Public Investment Fund was the primary backer of LIV Golf, and at one point held more than 90% of the league's ownership stake. Famous golfers, like the three-time Masters' champion Phil Mickelson, criticized the league for "sportswashing" Saudi Arabia's questionable human rights record.

Social Security’s financial operations are handled through two federal trust funds

One is called the Old-Age and Survivors Insurance trust fund, and the other is called the Disability Insurance trust fund. Combined, these two trust funds were valued at roughly $2.7T as of the end of 2024.

Social Security’s financial operations are handled through two federal trust funds

One is called the Old-Age and Survivors Insurance trust fund, and the other is called the Disability Insurance trust fund. Combined, these two trust funds were valued at roughly $2.7T as of the end of 2024.

Visualizing the world's $261T in investable assets

Nearly half of the world's portfolio of stocks and bonds originate in the US. Roughly 1% of all investable assets are in the form of cryptocurrency.

The Yale model of investment allocation, explained

College endowment managers long held to the traditional allocation of 60% domestic stocks and 40% bonds. But Yale’s David Swensen developed a new approach: deprioritizing low-risk fixed income and liquid assets in favor of alternative investments to leverage endowments' long-term investment horizons and capture the “liquidity premium.”

Visualizing the world's wealth in 2019

The world has a net worth of $360T. The U.S. economy continues to dominate given its sheer size, Asia and Europe are not that far behind.

The 'Big Three' asset managers—Vanguard, State Street, and BlackRock—collectively manage more than $30T in assets and are the largest shareholders in roughly 88% of all the companies listed on the S&P 500.

Apollo Global Management and Blackstone are among the world's top 20 private credit fund managers

While Blackstone is the world's largest alternative asset manager, Apollo Global Management is a large private equity firm. Apollo had $480B in private credit assets under management as of January 2025.

The United States currently ranks number one for countries that enable the most financial secrecy

Financial secrecy refers to complex systems that make it easy for people and companies to hide assets. High levels of financial secrecy are associated with illegal activity, like drug trafficking and money laundering. Lax regulations around reporting who owns trusts, real estate, and businesses impact the United States' global financial secrecy ranking.

As oil revenues decline, many Gulf States are investing in professional sports through sovereign wealth funds

Gulf States—including the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia—have invested tens of billions of dollars in professional sports, owning high-profile soccer clubs like Paris Saint-Germain and Manchester City. Many of these investments have been characterized as an increase in these countries' soft power, or global cultural influence, in Western countries, where the Middle East remains relatively misunderstood.

Davos becomes extremely heavily secured during the WEF

During the annual World Economic Forum in Davos, the city effectively turns into a fortress, guarded by thousands of Swiss army, police, and civil security personnel, with restricted airspace, drone surveillance, snipers, checkpoints, and round-the-clock patrols protecting global leaders.

The world's most (and least) corrupt countries

The annual index measuring every country's relative levels of corruption. In 2022, Denmark earned the top spot for transparency, with Sudan, Syria, and Somalia identified as having the highest levels of corruption in the public sector. The rankings...

Explore a tool that shows how much stake large asset managers, including BlackRock, hold in public companies.

The Atlantic Ocean is home to the world's largest waterfall—the Denmark Strait cataract—which is more than three times the height of the largest land-based waterfall.

Many countries, like Iceland and Norway, offer pensions to elderly citizens

Iceland, Luxembourg, and Norway offer some of the highest annual pension payouts at over 30,000 euros. The below chart shows how European nations stack up in terms of which offer the highest annual pension payouts.

Pension funds' allocations to risky, alternative investments increased by 25% between 2001 and 2021

The portion of pension funds' risky investments, including alternative investments such as private equity, increased from 14% in 2001 to 39% in 2021. Analysts say private equity investments have delivered higher returns than traditional assets like stocks and bonds. Increased investment in private equity has also given pensions a way to recover from the 2008 financial crisis without necessarily investing more money.

The largest university endowments in the US

This US News article ranks the 20 universities with the largest endowments in the United States, based on data from the 2022 fiscal year. Harvard tops the list at more than $50B, followed by Yale, Stanford, and Princeton. Check out this snapshot of how these financial resources support academic programs, research, and student aid.

Despite being one of the world's richest nations, Switzerland has the highest household debt of any country in the world, totaling 125% of its GDP.

Some multibillion-dollar pension funds depend on hedge funds

Pensions are responsible for safeguarding the retirement plans of many corporate and government employees alike. Pensions differ from 401(k) plans and sometimes rely on alternative assets, like hedge funds, to insulate their portfolios of billions of dollars from volatility in financial markets. Read the case top pension advisor Cambridge Associates makes for hedge funds.

Family offices are estimated to manage more assets globally than hedge funds

As baby boomers prepare to transfer more than $84T in assets to the next generation over the next 20 years, family offices’ impact is expanding.

In Switzerland, there was one billionaire for every 80,000 people as of 2022, making it one of the countries with the most billionaires per capita

Swiss residents overall have a mean net worth of almost $700K, making them some of the richest in the world, ahead of both the US and Hong Kong. In Switzerland, there is no capital gains tax on financial assets, although the country does have a relatively low wealth tax.

Visualize $102T of global debt, based on data from the International Monetary Fund's October 2024 outlook.

Family offices have been increasing their allocations to private credit

Private firms that manage family fortunes have been investing more in alternatives like venture capital and real estate, impacting the wider financial world.

Family offices’ estimated wealth is expected to hit $9.5T by 2030

The number of family offices, and how much money under their management, is growing rapidly both in the US and around the world.

More than 2,000 family offices operate in Singapore

The “Switzerland of Asia,” Singapore, is a haven for global wealth and has attracted a growing number of family offices to set up shop there.

The World Economic Forum works year-round

Beyond its annual Davos meeting, the World Economic Forum operates year-round through 11 centers that convene governments, corporations, and experts to coordinate initiatives around topics such as AI, cybersecurity, energy, climate change, health, finance, trade, geopolitics, and emerging technologies.

How universities manage their endowments

The CNBC video report explores how elite universities like Harvard handle their massive endowments, the ethical debates around their investments, and the tension between growing wealth and rising college costs. If you’re curious about where billions of dollars in higher education go, why tuition remains high despite huge endowments, or how student activism is pushing for ethical investing, this video offers a revealing, accessible look at the financial engines behind America’s top colleges.

Visual Capitalist shows the top 50 countries by central bank reserves

As of 2024, China, Japan, and the United States held the top three spots in terms of the value of their respective central bank reserves.

90 percent of active managers of large public funds underperform

High fees tend to eat away at whatever edge professional managers accrue, resulting in most such funds performing worse than their underlying benchmark indexes like the S&P 500.

In 2023, BlackRock founder Larry Fink turned from an outspoken champion of the 'environmental, social, and governance' framework to a critic.

About 80% of US debt is held by domestic and foreign investors.

One $100 investment in the Medallion Fund skyrockets over time

The Medallion Fund, the famously secretive quant fund that invests billions of dollars for the partners and employees of a single firm with a legendary track record, has trounced the market for more than three decades. While its results are an extreme outlier, this visualization showcases the power of compound interest.

Nearly 70% of the US government’s debt is domestic

This includes intragovernmental holdings like the Social Security Trust Fund and investments from US citizens, banks, and mutual funds. About 30% is foreign-held, with countries like Japan and China as major creditors, investing in US Treasury securities due to their perceived safety.

The World Bank funds development in the world's poorest countries

Originally called the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development, the World Bank was established in 1944 to assist in rebuilding war-damaged countries and has since grown to finance long-term economic development worldwide.

The global defense industry in one chart

The world's most valuable defense companies (for example, Lockheed Martin) make up much of the global defense industry. As of 2025, RTX led the pack with a roughly $183B market cap.

A look at Harvard University's endowment

​Harvard University holds the world's largest academic endowment, valued at $53.2B in fiscal year 2024. This official Harvard webpage explains how the endowment supports the university's mission, funding areas like financial aid, faculty positions, and research initiatives.

The North American waste management market was worth $208B in 2019

Burning waste to generate energy is a $10B industry in the US alone. A growing number of major companies—including Amazon, Subaru, and American Airlines—are pursuing "zero landfill" sustainability goals.

Meet Klaus Schwab, the founder and driving force behind Davos

Klaus Schwab founded the World Economic Forum in 1971 and spent five decades promoting stakeholder capitalism and cross-sector cooperation among elites. Under his leadership, Davos became a hub for global power brokers. Schwab stepped down from the role in April 2025 amid accusations of misconduct.