Early Life
Laurence Douglas Fink was born on November 2, 1952, in Van Nuys, California. He was raised in a Jewish family. Fink earned a BA in political science from UCLA in 1974 and an MBA in real estate at the UCLA Anderson School of Management in 1976.
Rise to Success
Fink's career began at First Boston, a New York-based investment bank, in 1976. He quickly rose through the ranks, becoming the youngest managing director at the firm. In 1988, Fink co-founded BlackRock under the umbrella of The Blackstone Group, serving as its director and CEO. When BlackRock split from Blackstone in 1994, Fink retained his positions and became chairman in 1998. BlackRock went public in 1999.
Key Business Strategies
Under Fink's leadership, BlackRock expanded organically and through strategic acquisitions, including Barclays Global Investors (BGI) in 2010. BlackRock launched its iShares business, and by April 2017, it accounted for $1.41 trillion, or 26%, of BlackRock's total assets under management. BlackRock has also focused on integrating environmental, social, and corporate governance (ESG) considerations into its investment strategies.
Philanthropy
Fink founded the Lori and Laurence Fink Center for Finance & Investments at UCLA Anderson in 2009. He also serves on the board of trustees of New York University and co-chairs the NYU Langone Medical Center board of trustees. He is also a trustee of the Boys and Girls Club of New York and the Robin Hood Foundation.
