Sovereign Wealth Fund

The term ‘Sovereign Wealth Fund’ was coined in 2005 by Andrew Rozanov. He characterised Sovereign Wealth Funds as funds created to specifically allocate countries’ international reserves in a way that would provide greater diversification and higher returns compared to those obtained through traditional management of these reserves by central banks. However, Sovereign Wealth Funds have been around for much longer. Some studies cite the French Caisse dês Dépots et Consignations, created in 1816, as the first Sovereign Fund in existence, but it was in the post-war period that they began to be used more frequently. The creation of the Brazilian Sovereign Fund (FSB) was announced on 12 May 2008 and, according to the Brazilian Ministry of Finance, this instrument will fulfil several objectives, notably: (i) Supporting projects of strategic interest to Brazil; (ii) Increasing the profitability of financial assets held by the public sector; (iii) Building public savings; (iv) Absorb fluctuations in economic cycles; and (v) Promote the internationalisation of Brazilian companies.