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☆ BlackRock might not be 'woke' anymore after the asset manager put an oil CEO on its board
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-19 | by ( Rebecca Ungarino | George Glover | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

BlackRock named Aramco CEO Amin Nasser to its board Monday. Nasser leads the world's largest oil producer, which is mainly owned by the Saudi Arabian state. Its decision to name Aramco CEO Amin Nasser to its board Monday provides further ammunition for those critics, signaling that the firm might not be as socially conscious as it says it is. That is the wrong player here, unless [BlackRock CEO] Larry Fink really wants to blur their image on the ESG front," Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, the Yale professor and management expert, said on CNBC Tuesday. Amin H. Nasser, president and chief executive officer of Saudi Arabian Oil Company (Saudi Aramco), speaks at the China Development Forum in Beijing, China, March 19, 2017.

Persons: Amin Nasser, Nasser, Larry Fink's, it's, Larry Fink, Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, Biden, Jamal Khashoggi, He'll, that's, Amin H, Shu Zhang, Reuters Fink, BlackRock's, It's, Fink, he'd Organizations: BlackRock, Aramco, Yale, CNBC, Washington Post, Saudi Arabian Oil Company, China Development Forum, Reuters, McKinsey, Republican Locations: Saudi Arabian, Saudi Arabia, Saudi, Saudi Aramco, Beijing, China, Massachusetts

☆ BlackRock's ESG backlash looms over Larry Fink's legacy and succession
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-18 | by ( Rebecca Ungarino | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +11 min

"BlackRock has posted industry-leading organic growth over the last year while most of our competitors are experiencing persistent outflows," a company spokesperson told Insider. I criticize the way they defended it," Seifert told Insider. "Given no mortal can fill Larry's shoes, there is a high risk they pick some Jeff Immelt equivalent," Keeley told Insider. Fink chose to make his letters public, which leads to concerns that Fink wrote them as a PR exercise. However, the most effective engagement is typically private," Edmans told Insider.

Persons: Larry Fink, It's, Fink, hasn't, Larry, BlackRock, BlackRock's, Terrence Keeley, —, it's, Ron DeSantis, GIORGIO VIERA, Erik McGregor, Keeley, They're, Cathy Seifert, Seifert, Rob Kapito, Mark Wiedman, Martin Small, Rachel Lord, Susan Wagner, Jack Welch, Jeff Immelt, Welch, Electric's, Immelt, Tim Buckley, Abby Johnson, Ron O'Hanley, Jamie Dimon, Alex Edmans, Edmans, Michael M, he's, I've, Rob Organizations: BlackRock, Republicans, GOP, Bloomberg, CNBC, Florida Gov, Getty, UBS, Environmental, CFRA Research, Company, JPMorgan, Citi, GE, Vanguard, Fidelity, London Business School Locations: BlackRock, Texas, Florida, Fink

☆ Lazard, facing a dealmaking drought, is on a mission to boost its money management business. It won't be easy.
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-06 | by ( Rebecca Ungarino | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +11 min

The group extends guidance on geopolitical matters to clients as well as colleagues, like the asset management arm's sprawling salesforce. The firm is making a series of changes to ramp up its asset management business. Lazard has had an asset management business for decades, but it's a business that's finding new relevance on Wall Street. Incoming Lazard CEO Peter Orszag, pictured here in May, has made improving the asset management business a priority. "When it comes to the asset management business, the picture is probably more blurry," said Richard Bruyère, managing partner of the Paris-based asset management advisory firm Indefi.

Persons: Lazard, Evan Russo, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Peter Orszag, Barack Obama, Bill Clinton, it's, Russo, Orszag, Ray McGuire, Jennifer Ryan, Goldman Sachs, Brennan Hawken, Richard Bruyère, Bruyère, Ryan, Hartley, Morgan Stanley, Janus Henderson, Ashmore, Devin Ryan, AllianceBernstein, Larry Cohen, " Russo, Peter Organizations: Lazard, BlackRock, Citi, New York, North, Incoming Lazard, REUTERS, UBS, Investors, Firms, Virtus, Liontrust, Bank's JMP Securities Locations: Russia, New York, Washington, North America, Paris, Taft, Asia

☆ The billionaires' beef at Two Sigma seems pretty petty
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-29 | by ( Dan Defrancesco | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

ICYMI: This is the last week of 10 Things on Wall Street. Insider's Rebecca Ungarino has more details on how long the beef between Overdeck and Siegel has been brewing behind the scenes. What stands out to me about the drama at Two Sigma is how it all seems to be so petty. The Two Sigma cofounder was included only as an example of the type of managers Haider had eclipsed. The asset manager tapped two internal executives to serve as co-CEOs of the firm, succeeding CEO Jay Wintrob, The Wall Street Journal reports.

Persons: Dan DeFrancesco, I'm, Billy Joel's, —, we've, Goldman, Cofounders David Siegel, John Overdeck, David Siegel, cofounders, Insider's Rebecca Ungarino, Siegel, Rebecca, Haidar Capital's Said Haidar, Haider, Penny, Warren Buffett, Charlie Munger, Scott Olson, Ruobing Su, Michael Broadbery, Goldman Sachs, Maza, Andreessen Horowitz, Seth Klarman, Jay Wintrob, Robert O'Leary, Armen Panossian, Everybody's, they're, Joey Hadden, Jeffrey Cane, Hallam Bullock Organizations: Sigma, Baupost, Oaktree Capital, Street, Wall, LinkedIn Locations: Omaha, New York, London

☆ Hollywood's love affair with private credit could be a recipe for disaster
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-28 | by ( Dan Defrancesco | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Private credit goes Hollywood. A town that loves a good story has a leading role in the biggest one on Wall Street. So in that vein, private credit filling the gap left by banks reconsidering their lending decisions is great. Ratings agency Moody's has already raised the alarm, suggesting defaults among borrowers in private credit will rise. But I think it's fair to say that industry isn't as cut and dried as others private credit might be lending to.

Persons: Dan DeFrancesco, fanny, —, we've, Maks, it's, Insider's Reed Alexander, Rebecca Ungarino, Reed, Rebecca, Moody's, Consuelo Vanderbilt Costin, Bryan Griffin, James, Jim, Crown, Henry Crown, Junius Myer Schine, David Sinclair, Jeffrey Cane, Hallam Bullock Organizations: Credit Suisse, Wall, Investment, Hollywood, Creators, The Vanderbilt, UBS, JPMorgan, Fidelity, Wall Street, LinkedIn Locations: Hollywood, Swiss, Aspen , Colorado, Silicon, Jersey Shore, New York, London

☆ Hedge fund industry insiders say Two Sigma's unusual risk disclosure was years in the making
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-27 | by ( Rebecca Ungarino | Kaja Whitehouse | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Two Sigma, the successful quant hedge fund, is dogged by two cofounders who don't get along. Disagreements between Overdeck and Siegel only surfaced publicly for the first time last week. The disclosure was highly unusual for a hedge fund since they generally have much lighter disclosure requirements than their public counterparts, experts say, making the filing all the more notable. The firm has been known mainly as a premier quantitative hedge fund since its founding. Then when it comes to planning for the next generation of leaders to take over from hedge fund founders, the transition can be difficult.

Persons: John Overdeck, David Siegel, Overdeck, Siegel, Mark Pickard, Jonathan Hitchon, Sarah Jacobs, Kevin Mullally, Mullally Organizations: Sigma, Street Journal, Overdeck, Wall Street, Business, University of Central Locations: New York, Manhattan's SoHo, University of Central Florida

☆ How 5 private-credit players, from Apollo to Carlyle, are investing in sports, media, and entertainment as content costs soar and a writers' strike paralyzes Hollywood
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-26 | by ( Reed Alexander | Rebecca Ungarino | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Asset managers big and small, from Carlyle and Apollo to Serengeti and Shamrock, are pushing into the space. The entertainment industry's love affair with private credit is one of the hottest storylines in Hollywood right now. Credit lenders are saying "lights, camera, action" to the idea of deploying dollars into movies, TV, and live sports. Insider previously reported that analysts were warning of the risks that could mount across private credit as rates rise. Insider gathered details on asset managers' lending strategies in Hollywood, media, and sports.

Persons: Carlyle, Christopher Marinac, Janney Montgomery Scott, Blackstone, Moody's, Marinac, JPMorgan Chase Organizations: Bank of America, Citigroup, JPMorgan Locations: Shamrock, Hollywood, Republic

☆ Depending on who you ask, BlackRock just saved, or killed, crypto
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-22 | by ( Dan Defrancesco | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Today we've got stories on a startup helping you build your credit with rent payments, Wall Street reentering the home-buying frenzy, and how to cut out late-night snacking. But that hasn't stopped critics from painting BlackRock's filing as part of a wider power shift in crypto benefiting traditional financial firms. (It's worth noting that the announcement coincides with the launch of EDX Markets, a crypto exchange backed by Wall Street royalty like Citadel Securities, Fidelity, and Charles Schwab, per The Wall Street Journal.) Wall Street isn't in the business of supporting causes that could put it out of business. By partnering with traditional finance firms, crypto companies are letting the fox in the hen house.

Persons: Dan DeFrancesco, we've, Andrii Shyp, Arif Qazi, Wall, Insider's Rebecca Ungarino, Rebecca, Morgan Chittum, hasn't, Charles Schwab, I've, Read, Teresa Heitsenrether, Here's, We're, Netflix's, Jeffrey Epstein, Epstein, Bel, Gary Winnick, Kaja Whitehouse, Nathan Rennolds Organizations: EDX, Wall, Citadel Securities, Fidelity, Street, JPMorgan, Bloomberg, Netflix, US Virgin Islands, Bel, Air, LinkedIn Locations: BlackRock, New York, London

☆ BlackRock applied to launch a bitcoin fund. Then came the conspiracy theories.
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-21 | by ( Rebecca Ungarino | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Crypto influencers seized on BlackRock's application to launch a bitcoin exchange-traded fund. Some said it sends a bullish sign to the wider crypto market; others spread conspiracy theories. The attention underscores the relatively new scrutiny BlackRock faces in the mainstream. "So BlackRock, Citadel, Deutsche Bank and NASDAQ have all started to enter the crypto space in the last week. Citadel, BlackRock, Schwab JPMorgan…" (These tweets refer to Citadel, the hedge fund founded and led by billionaire Ken Griffin.

Persons: Crypto influencers, BlackRock, Matt Hougan, Michael Novogratz, Brian Armstrong, Morgan Chittum, permissioned blockchains, Fink, bitcoin, Crypto, They've, Schwab JPMorgan …, Ken Griffin, Griffin, That's, Rich Latour, Latour Organizations: BlackRock, Morning, US Securities and Exchange Commission, Coinbase, Bitwise Asset Management, Galaxy Digital, SEC, Citadel, Deutsche Bank, NASDAQ, Citadel Securities Locations: bitcoin, BlackRock, cryptoland

☆ What's next for BlackRock?
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-19 | by ( Dan Defrancesco | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

The biggest, and most obvious, change comes at the top, as BlackRock considers life without Larry Fink. The departure of Fink from BlackRock — a firm he's led since founding it with Robert Kapito in 1988 — is monumental in and of itself. But consider the state of affairs:Simply put, there's a lot going on these days at BlackRock. Insider's Rebecca Ungarino, our resident BlackRock expert, has a rundown of all the latest news at the massive money manager. More on everything that's happening at BlackRock as its CEO and cofounder considers his future.

Persons: Dan DeFrancesco, we've, Leonardo Munoz, don't, Larry Fink, Fink, Robert Kapito, Insider's Rebecca Ungarino, Todd Anderson, Christine McCarthy, Bob Iger, Iger, Gen, Jeffrey Cane, Hallam Bullock Organizations: Disney, Netflix, BlackRock, Getty, Barclays, Goldman, Mouse, Apple's, McKinsey, LinkedIn Locations: VIEWpress, BlackRock —, BlackRock, Hulu, London, New York

☆ Here are the 150 most important people at BlackRock. Explore our exclusive org chart.
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-06 | by ( Rebecca Ungarino | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Insider built an org chart showing the most senior executives at BlackRock. Our org chart shows where executives said to be in the running to succeed Fink sit. To provide a window into the current power structure, Insider has mapped out the roughly 150 most senior BlackRock executives. Our org chart reflects recent changes to the company's structure. This month, the firm overhauled its alternative-investments business and made changes to the makeup of its Aladdin business, two core BlackRock offerings.

Persons: Fink, Larry Fink, BlackRock, Rob Kapito, Manish Mehta, Mark Wiedman Organizations: BlackRock Locations: New York, BlackRock

For the last few years, Insider has been spotlighting up-and-comers on Wall Street. We've asked the rising stars about the books that informed both their careers and personal growth. If you're looking for a book to pack for your summer vacation, we've got you covered. Over the last few years, we've asked our Wall Street rising stars to recommend books to our readers and how these must-reads helped them succeed in their careers. So if you're interested in reading what Wall Street reads, look no further than this selection of 35 books below.

Persons: We've, we've

☆ Banking giant JPMorgan advertised more than 3,600 AI-related jobs, report says, as Wall Street starts to embrace the revolutionary tech
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-01 | by ( Pete Syme | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Data from Evident shows it advertised 3,651 AI-related jobs in three months. JPMorgan is leading the way in Wall Street's shift towards AI, according to data reported by Bloomberg. The bank advertised 3,651 jobs globally from February through April with roles related to AI, per Bloomberg. JPMorgan's job adverts are nearly double that of its closest competitor, Citigroup, which advertised around 2,100 AI-related roles across the same time period, Bloomberg reported. Only Deutsche Bank and BNP Paribas also advertised more than 1,000 AI-related jobs, according to the report.

Persons: Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley, Larry Fink, Insider's Rebecca Ungarino Organizations: JPMorgan, Bloomberg, Citigroup, Deutsche Bank, BNP, CNBC, Wednesday, BlackRock

☆ BlackRock is spending 'a huge amount of time' on AI, CEO Larry Fink says
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-31 | by ( Rebecca Ungarino | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

BlackRock CEO Larry Fink said the firm is spending a lot of time analyzing artificial intelligence. The firm's experts believe AI will increase productivity by 30%, Fink said on Wednesday. A BlackRock team called AI Labs that works on natural language processing and other areas. If AI can meaningfully increase productivity, Fink said, then "you don't have to own just these AI companies. Bank of America research analysts have called AI a "baby bubble" for the investment mania around the tech.

Persons: Larry Fink, Fink, " Fink, He's, Deutsche Bank CEO Christian Sewing, OpenAI's ChatGPT, ChatGPT, Catalyst, Andreessen Horowitz Organizations: BlackRock, Deutsche Bank, Deutsche Bank CEO Christian, of America Locations: BlackRock, New York, Palo Alto , California, Edinburgh, Scotland

Hamza Fodderwala of Morgan Stanley's pick: Palo Alto NetworksPalo Alto Networks stock over the last 12 months, as of May 25 Markets InsiderTicker: PANWPrice target: $255We think Palo Alto Networks is going to be the first $100 billion market cap company in cybersecurity, or about a $300 stock, within two years. In our view, Palo Alto Networks is the best transformation story in software since Microsoft. In recent years, they've really modernized a lot of their security offerings for the cloud and they have multiple products that are best of breed. They can use that telemetry to feed their AI models and help automate a lot of security. Palo Alto Networks can really address this pain point for customers.

☆ We identified the 150 most important people at BlackRock. Explore our exclusive org chart.
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-29 | by ( Rebecca Ungarino | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Insider built an org chart showing the most senior executives at BlackRock. Our org chart shows where executives said to be in the running to succeed Fink sit. To provide a window into the current power structure, Insider has mapped out the roughly 150 most senior BlackRock executives. Our org chart reflects recent changes to the company's structure. Here is our exclusive org chart of the most powerful people at $9 trillion BlackRock.

☆ Meet Wall Street's rising stars of equity research, the ones to watch as the stock market faces one of its biggest challenges yet
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-22 | by ( Carter Johnson | Emmalyse Brownstein | Paige Hagy | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Meet Insider's lineup of up-and-coming talent in the world of equity research. The group hails from JPMorgan, Morgan Stanley, Goldman Sachs, and other top Wall Street firms. Lizzul is one of Insider's equity-research rising stars for 2023, a group of 17 up-and-coming research analysts covering a range of sectors, including energy and cybersecurity. To qualify for the list, analysts had to be 35 or younger, based in the US, working in sell-side equity research at a Wall Street firm, and producing work that stood out from competitors. Here is Insider's 2023 list of the top up-and-coming stars of equity research on Wall Street:

☆ Morgan Stanley CEO James Gorman plans to step down after years of making the bank the envy of Wall Street. Here's a look at his legacy.
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-19 | by ( Rebecca Ungarino | Alex Morrell | Dakin Campbell | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +11 min

Morgan Stanley CEO James Gorman said he will step down in the next 12 months. Morgan Stanley CEO James Gorman was giddy. Seeking stabilityTo understand where Morgan Stanley is now, you need to return to the peak of the financial crisis. It didn't take long before Morgan Stanley began utilizing its new license to acquire clients' deposits, reducing its reliance on wholesale funding. Mack, who helped design the 1997 Morgan Stanley and Dean Witter merger, had been pushed out by Purcell in 2001.

☆ BlackRock is mandating 4 days in the office, starting in September. Read the memo on the firm's plans.
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-16 | by ( Rebecca Ungarino | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

BlackRock is calling employees back to the office four days per week, starting in September. BlackRock told employees last fall that they had to work in the office at least three days per week. In a Fox Business interview last September, Fink linked a return to in-office work to a more productive workforce and lower inflation. "We are going to ask our employees to be much more mindful about their responsibilities in the office. This new approach begins on the 11th of September, and we encourage you to transition into this model by increasing your in-office days, as your schedule permits, over the next few months.

☆ What life after Larry looks like at BlackRock
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-15 | by ( Dan Defrancesco | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

BlackRock CEO Larry Fink Spencer Platt/Getty Images1. Who's next at BlackRock? On Wall Street, you'd be tough to find a founder and their company more synonymous with each other than Larry Fink and BlackRock. And while it's clear he doesn't want to remain at BlackRock forever, what's not clear is who would step in to fill the void. If that isn't enough for you, Rebecca also mapped out how BlackRock organizes its top leadership, identifying the 150 most powerful people and their reporting lines. Click here to learn more about BlackRock's succession plans for Larry Fink.

☆ BlackRock org chart: The 150 most powerful people under CEO Larry Fink as succession planning looms
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-12 | by ( Rebecca Ungarino | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Insider built an org chart showing the most senior executives under BlackRock CEO Larry Fink. To provide a window into the current power structure, Insider has mapped out the roughly 150 most senior BlackRock executives. This week, the firm overhauled its alternative-investments business and made changes to the makeup of its Aladdin business, two core BlackRock offerings. "We are spending a great deal of time at BlackRock getting the firm ready for when the founders are retiring. Investment stewardship head Joud Abdel Majeid and Willie Alford, Fink's new chief of staff, are among the executives who report to Fink.

☆ BlackRock is wrestling with who could succeed Larry Fink. Here's who's now in the running.
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-12 | by ( Rebecca Ungarino | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

Investment giant BlackRock has been planning for CEO Larry Fink's succession for years. Leadership has discussed BlackRock cofounder Susan Wagner as someone who could succeed Fink if the board does not have a clear candidate. For years, BlackRock has been planning for Chief Executive Larry Fink's succession, a torch-passing the industry has long speculated over. BlackRock has become shorthand for the intense backlash from primarily Republican lawmakers over sustainable investment strategies that Fink has championed as CEO. Goldstein, 49, is a BlackRock lifer and has been chief operating officer for nearly a decade.

☆ Billionaire investor Howard Marks tells clients he is taking a leave of absence after a recent throat cancer diagnosis: 'I should be fully back in action around mid-summer'
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-04 | by ( Rebecca Ungarino | Kaja Whitehouse | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Howard Marks told clients that he is taking a leave of absence after a throat cancer diagnosis. Marks, who cofounded Oaktree, said he expects to be "fully back in action around mid-summer." Marks, 77, does not expect "any negative consequences from the treatment, or any lasting limitations on my activities." Billionaire investor and Oaktree Capital Management co-chairman Howard Marks said in a note to Oaktree clients on Wednesday that he is taking a leave of absence while he undergoes treatment after a recent throat cancer diagnosis. "I'm writing to let you know I was recently diagnosed with a relatively common form of throat cancer.

☆ Meet the 12 executives helping PE firms overhaul their tech strategies and streamline how they cut deals
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-24 | by ( Bianca Chan | Rebecca Ungarino | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

The people responsible for private-equity firms' internal tech have never been more important. In the world of private equity, where firms generate returns and mint millions of dollars by relying on human judgment, technology hasn't always had a strong foothold. But that's starting to change as some of the largest PE firms take the plunge to invest in their own internal tech. Private equity has largely taken a wait-and-see approach to investing and building internal tech operations. Here is a list of top tech execs to know in the private equity industry.

☆ The messy, high-stakes world of private equity's fossil-fuel dilemma
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-20 | by ( Rebecca Ungarino | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +13 min

Most major private-investment firms are working to cut down on emissions their portfolio companies send into the atmosphere. It's also set targets to get three-quarters of its majority-owned power-and-energy portfolio companies' emissions that they generate directly and indirectly covered by Paris-aligned climate goals by 2025. A growing number of private-equity firms' pension-fund limited partners are under pressure themselves to either invest around environmental, social, and governance matters or shun investing through those lenses altogether. Firms' plans with their upstream investments tend to draw the most attention because they're involved in drilling for new oil and gas. If you're a private-equity firm and you continue to make new upstream investments, I don't believe you have a Paris-aligned plan.

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