Sovereign Wealth Funds: A Definition and Classification

Research on the role of sovereign investments in a time of crisis is still unsatisfactory. This introdution to the Research Handbook illustrates the state of the art of the legal investigation on sovereign investments, filling necessary gaps in previous research. Current focus is based on investment flows and trends, grounded in economic scenarios and objectives. Conversely, investigations from a legal standpoint are still few, namely disregarding the host states’ concerns about sovereign investments goals and tools. Hence, most of the many relevant drivers that affect current sovereign investments, be they FDI or portfolio investments, remain unexplained. This introduction investigates the juridical foundation of sovereign investments and extends our frontier of understanding.