On November 8, according to the Financial Times, citing people familiar with the matter, BlackRock is in preliminary discussions with Millennium Management on a strategic partnership that may allow the world's largest asset management company to acquire the most profitable hedge fund management company's equity. People familiar with the matter said the negotiations are still in their early stages and an agreement may not be reached. If BlackRock does eventually acquire a stake in Millennium, it will be the first time in 35 years that Millennium's 76-year-old founder Izzy Englander has accepted external investment into Millennium's management company. BlackRock and Millennium both declined to comment.