In 2012, the worlds top 36 sovereign wealth funds totaled nearly $5 trillion. Oil- and gas-related SWFs comprised the majority of the overall dollar amount, at 57.3%. With 40.5% of the total pie, Asia was the region with the largest share, followed by the Middle East with 35.6%. The first-ever SWF was the Kuwait Investment Authority, created in 1953 from oil revenues before Kuwait even gained independence from the United Kingdom; that fund is now worth nearly $300 billion. Since 2000, the number of sovereign wealth funds has increased dramatically.
Largest Sovereign Wealth Funds Worldwide
Source: Sovereign Wealth Fund Institute, official state sources
* This includes the oil stabilization fund of Russia
**This is a best-guess estimate
Web poll: Our Digital Readers Have Their Say
Barack Obama has been confirmed as US president for a second term; and in China, Xi Jinping has been appointed as chief of the Chinese Communist Party. How will this affect the relationship between these two economic giants in 2013?
