In 1988, eight people squeezed into a single room in New York to start an investment firm around an unusual premise: data and technology could give investors a clearer view of risk.
That firm became BlackRock. Its Aladdin system grew from an internal risk tool into a platform connecting portfolio construction, trading, operations and accounting. BlackRock ended 2025 with $14 trillion under management after attracting $698 billion of net inflows in a single year.
