BlackRock's assets hit a record high $11.6 trillion in the fourth quarter of last year as the world's largest money manager posted a 21% profit jump, with fee income buoyed by stronger equity markets.

BlackRock said in its fourth-quarter earnings report Wednesday that assets under management jumped to a record $11.55 trillion, up from $10 trillion a year ago. Analysts surveyed by FactSet had expected BlackRock to report a record $11.

Key Takeaways BlackRock's assets under management surged 15% year-over-year to $11.55 trillion.The asset manager beat estimates for earnings and revenue in the period.CEO Larry Fink noted that this was the second straight quarter of record inflows for BlackRock.

BlackRock Inc. is elevating several senior executives to expand its business in the Americas and with key institutional clients, following the announced departure of Mark Wiedman, once seen as a potential successor to Chief Executive Officer Larry Fink.

Asset manager BlackRock's senior executive Mark Wiedman, who was touted to be a potential successor to CEO Larry Fink, is departing the firm, said two sources familiar with the matter.

Mark Wiedman was most recently head of BlackRock’s global client business