BlackRock vs Target: Founders, CEOs and History
BlackRock was founded in 1988 by Larry Fink, Robert S. Kapito, Susan Wagner and is led by Larry Fink. Target was founded in 1902 by George Dayton and is led by Michael Fiddelke.
Company facts
Founders
BlackRock
Larry Fink
Fink joined First Boston in 1976 and became one of its youngest managing directors, running a mortgage-bond desk that was highly profitable until a 1986 interest-rate move cost it about $100 million.
Robert S. Kapito
Kapito worked alongside Fink at First Boston and joined him in founding BlackRock in 1988.
Susan Wagner
Wagner ran many of the functions that let a small bond shop grow into a global firm, including strategy, corporate development and operations.
Barbara Novick
For roughly BlackRock's first two decades Novick ran its global client business, winning the institutional mandates that funded the firm's early growth.
Ben Golub
Golub led much of the quantitative work behind BlackRock's risk-first approach, building analytics for mortgage prepayment, interest-rate and credit risk that became central to Aladdin.
Hugh Frater
Frater was one of the mortgage specialists who helped launch BlackRock's fixed income business and held senior roles at the firm before leaving.
Ralph Schlosstein
Schlosstein brought corporate finance and public policy experience to the founding team; before Lehman he worked at the US Treasury and on the White House domestic policy staff during the Carter administration.
Keith Anderson
Anderson ran BlackRock's fixed income investing for two decades, the core of the firm until iShares arrived with the 2009 BGI deal, and sat on its executive committee. In 2008 he left to become Chief Investment Officer of Soros Fund Management.
Target
George Dayton
George Draper Dayton became a partner in Goodfellow's Dry Goods Company, one of the largest department stores in Minneapolis, in 1902, and became sole owner and president within a year, renaming it the Dayton Dry Goods Company.
CEOs and their tenures
BlackRock
- Larry Fink1988–present
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer
Fink co-founded BlackRock in 1988 and has run it for its entire history, taking it from a bond boutique to the world's largest asset manager.
Source - Susan Wagner1988–2012
Co-Founder, Chief Operating Officer and Vice Chairman
Co-founder who led strategy, corporate development and operations, including BlackRock's side of the MLIM merger and the BGI acquisition, before retiring from management in 2012 and joining the board.
Source - Robert S. Kapito2007–present
President
Co-founder who long ran BlackRock's Portfolio Management Group across fixed income, equity, liquidity and alternatives before becoming President in 2007, overseeing day-to-day operations.
Source - Rob Goldstein2014–present
Chief Operating Officer
Named COO in 2014 after running BlackRock's global institutional client business; oversees operations across the firm and sits on the management committee created in 2025.
Source - Martin Small2023–present
Chief Financial Officer
CFO since 2023; leads financial planning and investor reporting and has laid out the 2030 targets for private markets, technology and digital asset revenue on earnings calls.
Source - Adebayo Ogunlesi2024–present
Chairman and CEO, Global Infrastructure Partners
Founder of GIP who joined BlackRock's leadership when the deal closed in October 2024; leads its infrastructure business, including the Aligned Data Centers and AES transactions.
Source
Target
- Robert J. Ulrich1994–2008
Chairman and CEO
Under Ulrich Target grew into the second-largest US discount retailer, built its design-partnership model with designers such as Michael Graves, and added the Super Target format. He retired as chief executive in 2008 and was succeeded by Gregg Steinhafel.
Source - Gregg Steinhafel2008–2014
Chairman, President and CEO
Steinhafel resigned in May 2014 after the data breach and the poor results of Target Canada, which the company closed in 2015 after losses. Brian Cornell succeeded him later in 2014.
Source - Brian Cornell2014–2026
Former Chairman and CEO
Cornell's tenure ended amid a stock and sales slump, with revenue declining for three consecutive fiscal years (from $107.412 billion in FY2023 to $104.780 billion in FY2025) even as the omnichannel infrastructure he built began paying off in the following qua…
Source - Michael Fiddelke2026–present
Chief Executive Officer
Fiddelke inherited a company coming off three straight years of revenue decline. His first two quarters as CEO delivered growth: Q1 FY2026 net sales rose 6.7% and Q2 FY2026 net sales rose 5.3% to $26.5 billion, with comparable traffic up 3.6%.
Source
Timeline: BlackRock and Target side by side
1902Target
Dayton Company is founded
George Dayton becomes a partner in Goodfellow's Dry Goods Company in Minneapolis in 1902, then sole owner in 1903, renaming it Dayton Dry Goods Company -- the business that eventually becomes Target Corporation.
1962Target
First Target store opens
The first Target discount store opens in Roseville, Minnesota.
1988BlackRock
Founded inside the Blackstone Group
Larry Fink and seven partners start Blackstone Financial Management, a bond and risk-management unit backed by a $5 million credit line from the Blackstone Group.
1992BlackRock
Renamed BlackRock
The business takes the BlackRock name and ends the year managing about $17 billion in assets.
1994BlackRock
Sold to PNC for $240 million
After a dispute over equity for new hires, Blackstone sells BlackRock to PNC, which becomes its long-term majority owner.
1999BlackRock
NYSE IPO
BlackRock lists on the New York Stock Exchange on October 1, 1999, at $14 per share.
2000BlackRock
BlackRock Solutions launched
BlackRock starts selling its internal risk analytics, later known as Aladdin, and advisory services to other institutions.
2000Target
Company becomes Target Corporation
Dayton Hudson changes its name to Target Corporation as the discount chain becomes the center of the company.
2006BlackRock
Merger with Merrill Lynch Investment Managers
The MLIM deal adds equity, retail and international businesses and gives Merrill Lynch a stake of nearly half of BlackRock.
2008BlackRock
Hired to manage crisis assets
The Federal Reserve Bank of New York hires BlackRock to manage the Maiden Lane portfolios taken over from Bear Stearns and AIG.
2009BlackRock
Acquires Barclays Global Investors and iShares
BlackRock closes its purchase of BGI on December 1, 2009, becoming the world's largest asset manager and taking over the iShares ETF business.
2013Target
Target Data Breach
Target discloses a data breach affecting more than 40 million customer payment cards during the holiday shopping season, becoming one of the most-cited cybersecurity failures in US retail history.
2014Target
Dermstore Acquired
Target acquires online beauty retailer Dermstore to expand its e-commerce beauty business; it sells the unit to THG for $350 million in 2021.
2015Target
Target Exits Canada
Target announced in January 2015 that it would close all of its Canadian stores, ending an expansion that began in 2013.
2017Target
Target acquires Shipt and Grand Junction
Target acquires same-day delivery platform Shipt for about $550 million and transportation-technology startup Grand Junction, accelerating omnichannel fulfillment.
2020BlackRock
PNC exits its stake
PNC sells its roughly 22% stake in BlackRock, leaving the company without a large controlling shareholder.
2020Target
Stores become fulfillment hubs
Target's store-based fulfillment model becomes central to digital growth during the pandemic period.
2023BlackRock
Moves headquarters to 50 Hudson Yards
BlackRock moves its New York headquarters to the 50 Hudson Yards tower on Manhattan's West Side.
2024BlackRock
iShares Bitcoin Trust launch and GIP deal
BlackRock launches the iShares Bitcoin Trust in January and closes the roughly $12.5 billion purchase of Global Infrastructure Partners on October 1.
2025BlackRock
HPS deal and record inflows
BlackRock completes the HPS Investment Partners and Preqin acquisitions, then ends the year with a record $698 billion of net inflows and $14 trillion in AUM.
2025Target
Michael Fiddelke named next CEO
Target announces that Michael Fiddelke will succeed Brian Cornell as CEO effective February 1, 2026, after 22 years rising through the company including as CFO and COO.
2026BlackRock
AUM passes $15 trillion
AUM reaches a record $15.3 trillion at June 30, 2026, and a GIP-backed consortium closes the $40 billion acquisition of Aligned Data Centers in July.
2026Target
FY2025 revenue is reported
Target reports FY2025 revenue of $104.780B and net income of $3.705B, the third consecutive year of revenue decline.
2026Target
Q1 FY2026 sales rebound
Target reports Q1 FY2026 net sales growth of 6.7% and comparable sales growth of 5.6% under new CEO Michael Fiddelke.
2026Target
Q2 FY2026 growth and raised outlook
Target reports Q2 FY2026 net sales of $26.5B (+5.3%), comparable sales growth of 3.8% and raises full-year guidance to about 5% sales growth.
Acquisitions
BlackRock
- Preqin2025$3.2B
- HPS Investment Partners2025$12B
- Global Infrastructure Partners (GIP)2024$12.5B
- Aperio Group2021$1.1B
- eFront2019$1.3B
- Barclays Global Investors (BGI) and iShares2009$13.5B
Questions about BlackRock vs Target
Who is the CEO of BlackRock, Inc. and Target Corporation?
BlackRock, Inc. is led by Larry Fink and Target Corporation is led by Michael Fiddelke. Both serve as the top executive responsible for the company's strategy, operations, and financial performance.
When was BlackRock, Inc. founded vs Target Corporation?
Target Corporation was founded in 1902 — 86 years before BlackRock, Inc., which was founded in 1988. Target Corporation's longer operating history gives it a deeper track record but also potentially more institutional inertia compared to the younger BlackRock, Inc..
How many employees does BlackRock, Inc. have compared to Target Corporation?
BlackRock, Inc. employs approximately 24,900 people, while Target Corporation employs approximately 415,000. Target Corporation has the larger workforce at 415,000 employees, compared to BlackRock, Inc.'s 24,900. A higher headcount does not necessarily imply greater efficiency — it often reflects differences in business model (e.g., manufacturing vs. software).
Where are BlackRock, Inc. and Target Corporation headquartered?
Both BlackRock, Inc. and Target Corporation are headquartered in United States, meaning they operate under the same primary regulatory and tax environment.
Who founded BlackRock, Inc. and Target Corporation?
BlackRock, Inc. was founded by Larry Fink, Robert S. Kapito, Susan Wagner, Barbara Novick, Ben Golub, Hugh Frater, Ralph Schlosstein, Keith Anderson. Target Corporation was founded by George Dayton.
Which company has a longer operating history — BlackRock, Inc. or Target Corporation?
Target Corporation has been operating for approximately 124 years, making it the more established of the two companies. BlackRock, Inc. has been in operation for around 38 years. A longer operating history often signals greater institutional resilience and brand recognition, though it can also mean slower adaptation to new market conditions.
Figures come from each company's filings and the sources linked beside them. Amounts reported in another currency are shown in US dollars at an approximate rate and marked with ~. Back to the BlackRock vs Target overview