Hi members!
This week’s field guide covers the expanding world of sovereign wealth funds. The wealth of nations—trillions of dollars being invested on behalf of countries in industries like tech, renewable energy, and finance—is being put to use in ways we still are not clear about. Countries rich in commodities or other sources of money are becoming active investors in financing the future. The question is—whose future? Sovereign wealth funds are following both a profit motive but also a national-interest one, and with the amounts of cash they have to spread around, they are quickly becoming a combination of finance and national policy the world has never seen before.
Our reporter, Max de Haldevang, has dived deep into this wealthy and opaque world. His state of play memo is a comprehensive look at how sovereign wealth funds are changing industries and remaking economies. We’ll continue this exploration throughout the week, with a Q&A with the head of Alaska’s state fund, a look at New Zealand’s admired SWF, and much more.
In addition to SWFs, we have an article from our in-house economist, Allison Schrager, on senator Elizabeth Warren’s proposal to break up the big tech companies in the US. While greater regulation of Big Tech seems likely, Allison raises the question of whether Warren’s proposal is good policy.
We also have a member-exclusive video today: The first of a two-part investigation into Japan’s unprecedented response to its shrinking workforce.
We’ll also have our live, members-only video conference call about SWFs on Friday, with this week’s field guide author, Max de Haldevang. Come ready to ask questions! The 30-minute call will start at 11 am ET/3 pm GMT on March 15th at this link. If you use Google Calendar, you can add the call to your calendar here. Login info is in the invitation. If you’re on another calendar, don’t worry—we’ll be adding more integrations in the weeks ahead.
We want to hear from you! Please send comments, questions, and late-stage funding to members@qz.com.
Here’s to a rewarding day,
Sam Grobart
membership editor