Norway has always said its sovereign wealth fund belongs to the people. But recently, that’s needed a bit of clarification.
Since hitting a record 10 trillion kroner ($1.1 trillion) last month, the fund has noticed an uptick in inquiries from Norwegians wondering whether they can now withdraw their share. Requests range from people asking for their full pro-rata stake — which, given Norway’s population of about 5.3 million, comes to more than $200,000 per person — to less serious pleas for a few coins to buy a can of soda.
“It’s nice that people get involved and are aware that this fund belongs to everyone,” said Marthe Skaar, a spokeswoman for Norges Bank Investment Management, which manages the fund from Oslo.
Though some Norwegians may be disappointed to learn they can’t make withdrawals, Skaar says the sudden spike in public interest in the fund represents a good opportunity to explain it’s also supposed to benefit future generations. She said that such requests are nothing new and the fund doesn’t keep a precise tally, although there had been an “upswing” after the valuation milestone.
The Government Pension Fund Global, as it is officially known, isn’t really a pension fund. Its purpose is to ensure that Norway keeps profiting from its oil wealth long after the fossil-fuel era ends. It only invests outside Norway, to avoid overheating the domestic economy.
Fiscal Stimulus
The government also spends some of its oil wealth on present-day Norwegians. After a drop in crude prices, it was forced to tap the fund to pad its budget in a rare example of fiscal stimulus in Europe.
A lot of oil-producing countries have set up wealth funds, but Norway’s remains a unique experiment in natural-resource wealth management. The fund’s mandate is anchored in Parliament, and has evolved over time with ethical restrictions on tobacco, certain weapons and most coal producers.
Norway’s wealth fund holds roughly 1.5% of the world’s listed equities. The past decade has seen a steep increase in its value, after a buying spree on cheap stocks during the financial crisis resulted in a quadrupling of its size since 2008. More than half the investor’s value is from its returns.
Source: Bloomberg
Can’t stop reading? Read more
Bain Capital injects £120m into Openwork to drive UK financial advice growth
Bain Capital injects £120m into Openwork to drive UK financial advice growth Bain Capital has completed a £120m investment in The Openwork Partnership, securing a stake of up to 30% in the UK-based financial advice network. The transaction, now approved by the...
McWin and TriSpan eye bite of Flat Iron in £50m steakhouse deal
McWin and TriSpan eye bite of Flat Iron in £50m steakhouse deal McWin Capital Partners and TriSpan have entered exclusive negotiations to acquire a significant stake in Flat Iron, a UK-based affordable steakhouse chain, according to Sky News. If successful, the deal...
Xeinadin targets £800m private equity sale as Exponent-backed firm prepares auction
Xeinadin targets £800m private equity sale as Exponent-backed firm prepares auction Xeinadin, the UK-based professional services group backed by private equity firm Exponent, is preparing for a sale that could exceed £800m, according to a report by The Times. The firm...