Infographic: The World’s Largest Sovereign Wealth Funds (2024)

FAQs

Which is the largest sovereign wealth fund in the world? ›

Norway is home to the biggest sovereign wealth fund globally, valued at nearly $1.4 trillion. In 2023, the fund posted record profits, bolstered by tech holdings that include Microsoft, Apple, and Nvidia.

Largest SWFs funds worldwide April 2024, by total assets

The largest SWF was the Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, managing assets just shy of one trillion U.S. dollars.

The world's largest sovereign wealth fund was established in the 1990s to invest the surplus revenues of Norway's oil and gas sector. To date, the fund has put money in more than 8,800 companies in over 70 countries around the world, making it one of the largest investors across the globe.

Some countries may have more than one SWF. Also, while the United States does not have a federal sovereign wealth fund, several of its states have their own SWFs. The list does not include pension funds that do not meet the SWF criteria.

Government ownership: SWFs are typically owned and operated by governments or government entities. They are established by countries to manage and invest excess foreign exchange reserves, which often originate from commodities, trade surpluses, or other revenue sources.

Overview. The Kuwait Investment Authority (KIA) is the oldest sovereign wealth fund in the world. KIA traces its roots to the Kuwait Investment Board, which was established in 1953, eight years before Kuwait's independence in 1961 In 1982, KIA was created by Law No.

A recent report from Brand Finance — a London-based independent brand valuation consultancy — named Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund as the world's most valuable sovereign wealth fund brand. The report also ranked the US multinational BlackRock as the world's most valuable asset management brand.

Despite the advantages, SWFs are not without their drawbacks. One concern is the potential for mismanagement and corruption. Poor governance and lack of transparency can lead to funds being misappropriated or invested in risky ventures, resulting in significant financial losses.

Why doesn't the UK have a sovereign wealth fund? ›

Yet it is not obvious that the fund's value would have been greater than the wealth generated by the North Sea oil-funded tax cuts implemented by the Thatcher governments in the 1980s. In any case, there is now no resources windfall for the government to invest, so the classic argument for a SWF no longer holds.

A sovereign wealth fund is owned by the general government, which includes both central government and sub-national governments.

The budgetary rule (Norwegian: handlingsregelen) is a rule concerning the usage of capital gains from The Government Pension Fund - Global of Norway. The rule states that a maximum of 3% of the fund's value should be allocated to the yearly government budget.

Canada has several existing provincial and territorial sovereign wealth funds that invest resource wealth on behalf of citizens: the Quebec Generations Fund, the Alberta Heritage Savings Fund, the Newfoundland & Labrador Future Fund, and the Northwest Territories Heritage Fund.

The Norwegian Oil and Gas Association has calculated that shutting down Norway's petroleum industry from 2020 would mean the loss of NOK 140 billion in annual government revenues. It also estimates that around 300 000 people employed in the country directly and indirectly by the industry would lose their jobs.

The Government Pension Investment Fund of Japan (GPIF) remains the largest pension fund, and tops the table with assets of 1.4 trillion dollars. It has held the top spot since 2002. Meanwhile, the Employees' Provident Fund of India joins as the only new participant among the top 20 funds of 2022.

Private equity titan Blackstone is the top in the United States and the world, raising $125.6 billion in capital from 2018 to 2023. Headquartered in New York, Blackstone's total assets under management stood at $991 billion as of the first quarter of 2023, and have since surpassed $1 trillion this year.

The Great Wealth Transfer is poised to begin, with the baby boomers – who own about half the country's wealth – passing on $84 trillion through 2045. Experts project that younger generations such as Gen X and millennials will inherit $72 trillion of that total, while charities receive the rest.