Synopsis
They say money rules the world. No one has more money than US financial investor BlackRock. The company manages over $6 trillion dollars on behalf of its customers. Most of the money comes from large investors, but millions of small savers around the globe also entrust their money to BlackRock. The financial titan has an influence on companies, politicians and entire countries. But what exactly does that mean for all of us?
This documentary shows how the group’s influence has grown rapidly in the years following the financial crisis. Renowned experts see the incredible size of BlackRock as a threat to free competition and the stability of the global financial markets. BlackRock decides what happens to the trillions of dollars – borrowed money from customers. The financial investor has bought into leading global corporations. BlackRock is currently a major shareholder in Apple, Microsoft, Facebook, McDonald’s, Siemens, BASF, Bayer, Airbus, PSA, Vivendi and many more. The list goes on and on.
But BlackRock’s influence goes far beyond corporate investments. The investor advises central banks and finance ministers, has direct access to government and heads of state. After his election as French President, Emmanuel Macron invited BlackRock representatives to a confidential meeting at the Élysée Palace. The knowledge that BlackRock gathers in such discussions is worth its weight in gold: no other company and no authority in the world today has such a comprehensive insight into the global financial world as BlackRock.
