Photographs: Suzanne Plunkett/Reuters
Sovereign wealth fund is a state-owned investment fund comprising of financial assets such as stocks, bonds, property, precious metals and other financial instruments that are invested globally.
Some countries have created SWFs to diversify their revenue streams.
The amount of money in these SWF is substantial.
Let's take a look at some of the biggest sovereign wealth funds in the world.
Source: swfinstitute.org
Norway
Sovereign wealth fund name: Government Pension Fund - Global
Total assets: $715.9 billion
Year of inception: 1990
Original source of funds: Oil
Global rank in total funds: 1
Cliick NEXT to read more...
30 biggest sovereign wealth funds in the world
Image: Sowwah Square on Marayah Island in Abu Dhabi's central business district, United Arab Emirates.Photographs: Ben Job/Reuters
Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
Sovereign wealth fund name: Abu Dhabi Investment Authority
Total assets: $627 billion
Year of inception: 1976
Original source of funds: Oil
Global rank in total funds: 2
...
30 biggest sovereign wealth funds in the world
Image: A view of Yintai Centre, left, and China World Trade Centre Tower III, right, in Beijing's central business district, China.Photographs: Jason Lee/Reuters
China
Sovereign wealth fund name: Safe Investment Company
Total assets: $567.9 billion
Year of inception: 1997
Original source of funds: Non-commodity
Global rank in total funds: 3
...
30 biggest sovereign wealth funds in the world
Image: Kingdom Tower in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.Photographs: Ali Jarekji/Reuters
Saudi Arabia
Sovereign wealth fund name: Sama Foreign Holdings
Total assets: $532.8 billion
Year of inception: N/A
Original source of funds: Oil
Global rank in total funds: 4
...
30 biggest sovereign wealth funds in the world
Image: An aerial view shows vehicles travelling on intersections at night in downtown Shanghai, China.Photographs: Aly Song/Reuters
China
Sovereign wealth fund name: China Investment Corporation
Total assets: $482 billion
Year of inception: 2007
Original source of funds: Non-commodity
Global rank in total funds: 5
...
30 biggest sovereign wealth funds in the world
Image: A view of Kuwait City.Photographs: Stephanie Mcgehee/Reuters
Kuwait
Sovereign wealth fund name: Kuwait Investment Authority
Total assets: $342 billion
Year of inception: 1953
Original source of funds: Oil
Global rank in total funds: 6
...
30 biggest sovereign wealth funds in the world
Image: An aerial view of Hong Kong's cityscape.Photographs: Bobby Yip/Reuters
Hong Kong
Sovereign wealth fund name: Hong Kong Monetary Authority Investment Portfolio
Total assets: $298.7 billion
Year of inception: 1993
Original source of funds: Non-commodity
Global rank in total funds: 7
...
30 biggest sovereign wealth funds in the world
Image: A view of Singapore's central business district.Photographs: Stringer/Reuters
Singapore
Sovereign wealth fund name: Government of Singapore Investment Corporation
Total assets: $247.5 billion
Year of inception: 1981
Original source of funds: Non-commodity
Global rank in total funds: 8
...
30 biggest sovereign wealth funds in the world
Image: St Nicholas (Nikolskaya) Tower, left, and History Museum, right, in Moscow's Red Square, Russia.Photographs: Mikhail Voskresensky/Reuters
Russia
Sovereign wealth fund name: National Welfare Fund
Total assets: $175.5 billion
Year of inception: 2008
Original source of funds: Oil
Global rank in total funds: 9
...
30 biggest sovereign wealth funds in the world
Image: An aerial view shows Shanghai's financial district skyline along the Huang Pu river in China.Photographs: Reuters
China
Sovereign wealth fund name: National Social Security Fund
Total assets: $160.6 billion
Year of inception: 2000
Original source of funds: Non-commodity
Global rank in total funds: 10
...
30 biggest sovereign wealth funds in the world
Image: A roller coaster in front of the 'Far Far Away' section at the Universal Studios theme park in Singapore.Photographs: Vivek Prakash/Reuters
Singapore
Sovereign wealth fund name: Temasek Holdings
Total assets: $157.5 billion
Year of inception: 1974
Original source of funds: Non-commodity
Global rank in total funds: 11
...
30 biggest sovereign wealth funds in the world
Image: A view of Doha with buildings under construction in Qatar.Photographs: Fadi Al-Assaad/Reuters
Qatar
Sovereign wealth fund name: Qatar Investment Authority
Total assets: $115 billion
Year of inception: 2005
Original source of funds: Oil
Global rank in total funds: 12
...
30 biggest sovereign wealth funds in the world
Image: An outdoor shopping mall in Melbourne, Australia.Photographs: Mick Tsikas/Reuters
Australia
Sovereign wealth fund name: Australian Future Fund
Total assets: $88.7 billion
Year of inception: 2006
Original source of funds: Non-commodity
Global rank in total funds: 13
...
30 biggest sovereign wealth funds in the world
Image: A view of Jardin Essai botanical garden at Hamma in Algiers, Algeria.Photographs: Louafi Larbi/Reuters
Algeria
Sovereign wealth fund name: Revenue Regulation Fund
Total assets: $77.2 billion
Year of inception: 2000
Original source of funds: Oil and gas
Global rank in total funds: 14
...
30 biggest sovereign wealth funds in the world
Image: Towers are seen next to a Dubai Metro station on Sheikh Zayed Road in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.Photographs: Jumana El Heloueh/Reuters
Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Sovereign wealth fund name: Investment Corporation of Dubai
Total assets: $70 billion
Year of inception: 2006
Original source of funds: Oil
Global rank in total funds: 15
...
30 biggest sovereign wealth funds in the world
Image: A view of Abu Dhabi's skyline in United Arab Emirates.Photographs: Ahmed Jadallah/Reuters
Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
Sovereign wealth fund name: International Petroleum Investment Corporation
Total assets: $65.3 billion
Year of inception: 1984
Original source of funds: Oil
Global rank in total funds: 16
...
30 biggest sovereign wealth funds in the world
Image: A view of Leptis Magna, a Unesco World Heritage site on the Mediterranean coast of North Africa, some 120km east of Tripoli in Libya.Photographs: Youssef Boudlal/Reuters
Libya
Sovereign wealth fund name: Libyan Investment Authority
Total assets: $65 billion
Year of inception: 2006
Original source of funds: Oil
Global rank in total funds: 17
...
30 biggest sovereign wealth funds in the world
Image: A view of Astana, capital of Kazakhstan.Photographs: Valery Kaliev/Reuters
Kazakhstan
Sovereign wealth fund name: Kazakhstan National Fund
Total assets: $61.8 billion
Year of inception: 2000
Original source of funds: Oil
Global rank in total funds: 18
...
30 biggest sovereign wealth funds in the world
Image: People exit subway station in the Gangnam area of Seoul, South Korea.Photographs: Lee Jae-Won/Reuters
South Korea
Sovereign wealth fund name: Korea Investment Corporation
Total assets: $56.6 billion
Year of inception: 2005
Original source of funds: Non-commodity
Global rank in total funds: 19
...
30 biggest sovereign wealth funds in the world
Image: A view of Ferrari World Abu Dhabi, a Ferrari themed amusement park, in United Arab Emirates.Photographs: Reuters
Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
Sovereign wealth fund name: Mubadala Development Company
Total assets: $53.1 billion
Year of inception: 2002
Original source of funds: Oil
Global rank in total funds: 20
...
30 biggest sovereign wealth funds in the world
Image: A view of residential buildings in north western Tehran, Iran.Photographs: Morteza Nikoubazl/Reuters
Iran
Sovereign wealth fund name: National Development Fund of Iran
Total assets: $49.6 billion
Year of inception: 2011
Original source of funds: Oil and gas
Global rank in total funds: 21
...
30 biggest sovereign wealth funds in the world
Image: Aurora Borealis is pictured above a house along the Old Glenn Highway, Alaska, United States.Photographs: Oscar Edwin Avellaneda/Reuters
Alaska, United States
Sovereign wealth fund name: Alaska Permanent Fund
Total assets: $46.8 billion
Year of inception: 1976
Original source of funds: Oil
Global rank in total funds: 22
...
30 biggest sovereign wealth funds in the world
Image: A view of the city centre of Kuala Lumpur under a light haze in Malaysia.Photographs: Bazuki Muhammad/Reuters
Malaysia
Sovereign wealth fund name: Khazanah Nasional
Total assets: $39.1 billion
Year of inception: 1993
Original source of funds: Non-commodity
Global rank in total funds: 23
...
30 biggest sovereign wealth funds in the world
Image: A view of central Baku in Azerbaijan.Photographs: David Mdzinarishvili/Reuters
Azerbaijan
Sovereign wealth fund name: State Oil Fund
Total assets: $32.7 billion
Year of inception: 1999
Original source of funds: Oil
Global rank in total funds: 24
...
30 biggest sovereign wealth funds in the world
Image: A water taxi passes the country's landmark Sultan Omar Ali Saifuddien Mosque in Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei.Photographs: Bazuki Muhammad/Reuters
Brunei
Sovereign wealth fund name: Brunei Investment Agency
Total assets: $30 billion
Year of inception: 1983
Original source of funds: Oil
Global rank in total funds: 25
...
30 biggest sovereign wealth funds in the world
Image: People walk past the Printemps department store in Paris, France.Photographs: Charles Platiau/Reuters
France
Sovereign wealth fund name: Strategic Investment Fund
Total assets: $25.5 billion
Year of inception: 2008
Original source of funds: Non-commodity
Global rank in total funds: 26
...
30 biggest sovereign wealth funds in the world
Image: Cyclists pass the downtown skyline in Austin, Texas, United States.Photographs: Julia Robinson/Reuters
Texas, United States
Sovereign wealth fund name: Texas Permanent School Fund
Total assets: $25.5 billion
Year of inception: 1854
Original source of funds: Oil and other
Global rank in total funds: 27
...
30 biggest sovereign wealth funds in the world
Image: A woman cycles past the 'Coffee To Get Her' restaurant near Dublin city centre, which becomes a bar and club in the evenings, in Ireland.Photographs: Cathal McNaughton/Reuters
Ireland
Sovereign wealth fund name: National Pensions Reserve Fund
Total assets: $19.4 billion
Year of inception: 2001
Original source of funds: Non-commodity
Global rank in total funds: 28
...
30 biggest sovereign wealth funds in the world
Image: A view of Auckland from atop the Sky Tower in New Zealand.Photographs: Stefan Wermuth/Reuters
New Zealand
Sovereign wealth fund name: New Zealand Superannuation Fund
Total assets: $18.5 billion
Year of inception: 2003
Original source of funds: Non-commodity
Global rank in total funds: 29
...
30 biggest sovereign wealth funds in the world
Image: A worker cleans away snow around the Centennial Flame on Parliament Hill in Ottawa, Canada.Photographs: Christopher Pike/Reuters
Canada
Sovereign wealth fund name: Alberta's Heritage Fund
Total assets: $16.4 billion
Year of inception: 1976
Original source of funds: Oil
Global rank in total funds: 30
article