BlackRock CEO warns: America's public debt will drown America

At the Forbes Iconoclast Summit 2025, Larry Fink – the CEO of BlackRock, the largest asset management firm in the world – issued a serious warning that America is facing the risk of "drowning in debt" if it does not find ways to stimulate real economic growth.

Fink points out the rapid increase in America's public debt over the past 25 years:

"After 223 years since its establishment, in 2000, America's national debt was 8 trillion USD. Now, that number has risen to 36 trillion USD. And we are about to shoulder an additional 2.3 to 2.4 trillion USD from the upcoming tax bill."

If we do not achieve real growth of 3% each year, America will crash into a wall.

Larry FinkAlthough the current public debt picture is very bleak, Fink still believes that America has a chance to escape the "deep hole" of tens of trillions of dollars if the government takes decisive action to stimulate growth in multiple sectors.

He called for:

“We need to free up more private capital… We need to simplify the licensing procedures, focusing on rebuilding infrastructure.

If you believe that America will lead in the AI field, then you need to know that we are missing about 500,000 electricians.

Fink concludes that the foundation for growth is there, but it needs to be unlocked. If America continues to maintain a growth rate of 2% as it is now, the national debt will overwhelm the entire economy.