What do Shell, ING and ASML have in common? Their largest shareholder is BlackRock. This titan of an asset manager has a colossal, invisible grip on businesses worldwide. Chances are you’re connected to them too, without even knowing it, since BlackRock manages the pension money of over 7 million Dutch citizens. For decades, they operated in the shadows. But nowadays, this giant is facing massive backlash. Not only because their investments link them to the genocide in Gaza, but also because they remain one of the biggest backers of the fossil fuel industry. Bowing to pressure from US Republicans just before Trump’s second term, BlackRock even pulled out of major climate pacts, leaving Dutch pension funds (that do have green goals) feeling extremely frustrated.
In a Volkskrant interview, BlackRock’s Dutch country manager Monique Donders claims to be tired of being talked about, and not talked to. Well, consider this an invitation. Do they dare show up, or will they keep their doors shut? Either way: this conversation needs to happen. Join us this evening at Pakhuis de Zwijger for a deep dive into BlackRock. A conversation about power, morality and what on earth is happening to your money.
About the speakers
Thomas Bollen is a financial economist and prominent investigative journalist for Follow the Money. He specialises in exposing corporate malpractice and demystifying global banking. Bollen authored the acclaimed book Geld genoeg, maar niet voor jou, and co-created the award-winning project The Waterworks of Money, which represented the Netherlands at the Venice Biennale and won the 2023 Dutch Design Award.
Audrey Gaughran is the Executive Director of SOMO, an organisation investigating the impact of multinational corporations. She has over twenty years of experience fighting for human rights, previously leading global research at Amnesty International. At SOMO, Gaughran focuses on holding powerful companies accountable, exposing corporate harm, and pushing for a fairer global economy that respects people and the planet.
Grace Blakeley is a prominent British economic commentator, author, and one of the most compelling radical voices of her generation. A sharp critic of corporate power, she is a regular analyst on the BBC and ITV, and a staff writer for Tribune. Author of the international bestseller Vulture Capitalism, Blakeley is a leading force in the movement to dismantle corporate monopoly and champion economic democracy.
Joyeeta Gupta is Professor of Environment and Development in the Global South at the University of Amsterdam and Professor at IHE-Delft Institute for Water Education. Her research focuses on climate justice, environmental law, and sustainable governance. After winning the prestigious Dutch Spinoza Prize, she now co-leads a UN advisory group focused on global sustainability goals (SDG’s). She has contributed to over 60 funded projects and previously served as a lead author for the Nobel Peace Prize-winning IPCC.
Vera Vrijmoeth is an economist and prominent researcher for the Dutch trade union FNV. She specializes in analyzing wealth distribution, investigating structural economic inequalities, and deconstructing dominant socio-economic myths. Through her research, co-authorship of the book Machtige Mythes, and the newsletter Rode Cijfers, she focuses on debunking misleading narratives to empower workers and advocate for a fairer distribution of capital and wealth.
Hiske Arts is the lead campaigner for Fossielvrij NL and a prominent advocate for climate justice. She focuses on dismantling corporate greenwashing and stopping financial investments into fossil fuels. She successfully led the campaign pressuring pension fund ABP to divest from fossil fuels, and also led the landmark lawsuit against KLM over misleading sustainability claims.
About the moderator
Frederique de Jong is a Dutch journalist, moderator, and the host of Follow the Money’s podcast. She has decades of experience in news broadcasting, including years as a prime-time anchor for BNR Nieuwsradio.
