Norway operates the largest SWF in the world—managing more than $2T in assets

The majority of the world's sovereign wealth funds are controlled by nations in Asia and the Middle East

Norway operates the world's single largest sovereign wealth fund, but Asian and Middle Eastern countries operate the rest of the top 10 largest SWFs. The Middle East alone accounts for more than $5T of the world's entire sovereign wealth.

Abu Dhabi operates 6 different sovereign wealth funds—one of which is the most active SWF in the world

Abu Dhabi, the capital district of the United Arab Emirates, manages its own funds distinct from those held by the United Arab Emirates federal government. Like other SWFs in the Middle East, the funds are secretive, but they are estimated to be worth about $1.8T altogether. Mubadala, one of Abu Dhabi's SWFs, became the most active fund in the world in 2024, deploying nearly $30B.

Because of their size, sovereign wealth funds create anxiety about foreign undermining of financial systems

Across the board, sovereign wealth funds have an immense amount of capital, and, therefore, influence in global financial markets. Critics argue that this influence could enable a foreign country to harm another country's financial market by either investing adversely in competitive markets or by withholding critical capital.

Alaska's sovereign wealth fund pays people to live in the state through an annual dividend

While the US doesn't operate a federal sovereign wealth fund, several states run SWFs—the most well-known being the Alaska Permanent Fund. Unlike most SWFs, the Alaska Permanent Fund sends cash payments averaging roughly $1.2K each directly to Alaskan residents each year.

Written by 26 sovereign wealth funds in 2008, the 'Santiago Principles' provide generally accepted principles for fund management and governance

Sovereign wealth funds are not regulated, but many of the funds voluntarily follow the Santiago Principles (though, to a varying extent). Some of the principles include transparent financial objectives, clear accountability structures, regular performance reviews, and annual auditing.

The Vanguard Total Stock Market Index, was worth roughly $1.47T as of February 2024

That fund (and the other seven largest mutual funds by assets) is an index fund, meaning it invests in a specific set of preset securities.

A Saudi Arabian sovereign wealth fund divested from LIV Golf after pumping more than $6B into the PGA's controversial rival

The Saudi Arabian Public Investment Fund was the primary backer of LIV Golf, and at one point held more than 90% of the league's ownership stake. Famous golfers, like the three-time Masters' champion Phil Mickelson, criticized the league for "sportswashing" Saudi Arabia's questionable human rights record.

Social Security’s financial operations are handled through two federal trust funds

One is called the Old-Age and Survivors Insurance trust fund, and the other is called the Disability Insurance trust fund. Combined, these two trust funds were valued at roughly $2.7T as of the end of 2024.

The Yale model of investment allocation, explained

College endowment managers long held to the traditional allocation of 60% domestic stocks and 40% bonds. But Yale’s David Swensen developed a new approach: deprioritizing low-risk fixed income and liquid assets in favor of alternative investments to leverage endowments' long-term investment horizons and capture the “liquidity premium.”

The United States currently ranks number one for countries that enable the most financial secrecy

Financial secrecy refers to complex systems that make it easy for people and companies to hide assets. High levels of financial secrecy are associated with illegal activity, like drug trafficking and money laundering. Lax regulations around reporting who owns trusts, real estate, and businesses impact the United States' global financial secrecy ranking.

Family offices are estimated to manage more assets globally than hedge funds

As baby boomers prepare to transfer more than $84T in assets to the next generation over the next 20 years, family offices’ impact is expanding.

The world’s largest waterfall is hidden underwater

The Denmark Strait cataract is an underwater waterfall in the ocean channel between Iceland and Greenland. It’s also the world’s largest waterfall. Standing 11,500 feet tall, the incredible natural landmark is more than three times the height of Angel Falls, the largest waterfall on land. Discover more about the features of this cataract, which, despite its massive size, is totally undetectable above water.

Hedge funds, the private investment firms that trade a wide swath of financial assets, make money by imposing steep fees on investors and from the fund's investment performance.

The World Bank funds development in the world's poorest countries

Originally called the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development, the World Bank was established in 1944 to assist in rebuilding war-damaged countries and has since grown to finance long-term economic development worldwide.

'The Fund' exposed culture problems and scandals at Bridgewater Associates

In 2023, Rob Copeland—who covered Bridgewater Associates for The Wall Street Journal for 10 years before moving to The New York Times—wrote a book that drew from interviews, company documents, and meeting recordings. "The Fund" highlighted sexual harassment scandals, a company contract to hire strippers, and a toxic company culture. Dalio has criticized the author for being sensational and a gossip.

Switzerland's household debt totals 125% of its GDP

Switzerland, Australia, and Canada are among the countries with the highest household debt in the world. This debt typically includes mortgages, automotive loans, credit card debt, and personal loans.

An overview of North Korea’s military capabilities

With one of the world’s largest conventional military forces, North Korea is often perceived as a security threat. This multimedia backgrounder by CFR breaks down North Korea’s military capabilities. North Korea has the world’s...

As of 2025, the Wikimedia Foundation funds 14 open-source, free knowledge projects

Since its founding in 2003, the nonprofit has provided financial, legal, and infrastructure support to Wikipedia and its sister projects (e.g., Wikinews), primarily by managing donations, which average $11, from readers. Additional funding comes from gifts exceeding $1,000, the Wikimedia Endowment, and providing Wikipedia content for commercial use.

In 2026, Finland was named the world's happiest country for the ninth consecutive year based on its wealth, social safety network, and high life expectancy, among other factors.

Facts and figures on the largest credit unions

As of early 2024, credit unions had $2.31T in assets under management and were growing exponentially. Some of the biggest players limit access to military personnel, residents of specific states, and those with active religious affiliations. If you want to bank with some of the top names in the US, this list will help you check to see if you qualify.

The WEF’s ‘Davos Manifesto’ is a set of guiding principles for the event

In 2020, these principles were updated for the first time in more than 40 years to include “stakeholder capitalism,” the idea that a company’s purpose is “to engage all its stakeholders in shared and sustained value creation.”

An overview of the National Science Foundation and the technologies it has helped fund

Established in 1950, the federal agency has provided billions of dollars to over 300,000 researchers, entrepreneurs, and students to conduct research across all seven continents. These funds have contributed to major technological achievements, from the invention of the internet to the first image of a black hole.

Cathie Wood is one of the most famous modern figures in ETF investing

Cathie Wood is the fund manager and stock picker behind Ark Invest and its flagship Ark Innovation ETF. Her strategy centers around disruptive technology, and she’s made bold bets on cryptocurrency and companies like Tesla, Robinhood, and Nvidia. Wood has a loyal following of retail investors who watch her daily trades religiously.

Finance sector has power to help the Amazon rainforest

Read this article to uncover the potential role of the financial industry in addressing deforestation, climate change, and biodiversity loss in the Amazon rainforest. The finance sector can significantly contribute to conservation efforts by...

Poland spends the most on NATO (as a share of GDP) at 4.1%, as of 2024

BBC explores how much each NATO member spends on defense and includes a helpful map displaying the defense spending of European countries as a percentage of GDP.

View a map of countries with the safest and most dangerous drinking water

More than a quarter of the world's population lives in water-stressed countries, and a similar number use contaminated drinking water sources, which can lead to widespread disease, according to the World Health Organization. The Environmental Performance Index shows which countries have safe drinking water.

Over a lifetime, the average American's nuclear power usage creates a hockey puck of nuclear waste

Spent nuclear fuel remains hot and highly radioactive for long periods, requiring submersion in cooling pools before being stored in dry casks and deep underground repositories. The potential recycling of nuclear waste is impeded by security concerns and dangerous reprocessing methods, particularly when obtaining fresh uranium is often easier.

The US dollar is the most widely circulated currency in the world, and is involved in nearly 90% of global transactions

While the first exchange-traded fund (a 'basket' of different assets that can be bought and sold on a stock exchange) in the US only launched in 1993, the global ETF market has grown to more than $10T in the short time since.

An investigation suggests a Scottish island became awash in forever chemicals via seafoam and seaspray—raising questions about what that means for the safety of other coastal areas.

Sunflowers have long been a symbol of nuclear disarmament because they can extract large amounts of radioactive cesium from soil.

The United States is one of only around two dozen countries with a fully federal system of government, in which power is divided between national and state governments.

SpaceX's S-1 or 'prospectus' revealed many previously unknown details about the company, including its unprofitability despite doing $18.7B in revenue in 2025, exactly how many voting shares Elon Musk will have in the company (roughly 85%), and more.

Calculate how much of your tax dollars go to each federal program based on your income, filing status, and number of children

Dozens of S&P 500 stocks, including Coca-Cola and Walmart—known as the dividend aristocrats—have increased dividends every year for 25 years

See the 25 of the best photos of auroras from around the world.

Art theft is the third-largest source of criminal revenues worldwide, thanks in part to the subjective nature of valuing a work of art.

Planarian flatworms are small, aquatic worms with exceptional regenerative capabilities. When cut, the worms can regenerate multiple bodies in a matter of weeks.

Legendary architect Frank Lloyd Wright designed the SC Johnson headquarters in Wisconsin, aiming to make a cathedral-like workplace

Electrical grids worldwide must double their power delivery capacity by 2050 to meet surging demand from AI and electric vehicles.

The Russia-Ukraine conflict is the largest ground war in Europe since World War II in terms of casualties, forces mobilized, and displacement of civilians.

For centuries, Niagara Falls has been a magnet for daredevils seeking to conquer one of nature's most powerful wonders, with its 200-foot drop and water rushing at 32 feet per second with 280 tons of force.

Experimental hantavirus vaccines and therapies, still under development, have long been funded by the US military.

Up to a million Girl Scouts sell about 200 million cookie boxes every spring, generating $800 million, largely because refusing a child is frowned upon

In 1984, Operation Smash Hit intentionally crashed a 239-ton train into a nuclear waste canister at 100 miles per hour to prove the canister's safety, which remained completely intact and lost just 0.29 of its 100 pounds of pressure.

Most of the observable universe's volume consists of voids and supervoids—enormous regions of space with little to no galaxies, stars, or light.

Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps is independent of Iran's regular army and is one of the most powerful and influential military-political organizations in the Middle East.

Double world record holder Hunter Ewen helped conquer his fear of balloons, called globophobia, by training to win Guinness World Record titles for balloon inflation.

The most expensive ad of all time was for Chanel No. 5 perfume and cost roughly $33M to produce in 2004—about $57M in today's dollars.

Pure water does not conduct electricity because this flow of energy requires the movement of charged particles, and water is a neutral molecule.