Growing Singapore’s secretive billions: What GIC reveals at its first public exhibition

The Secret Vault – GIC’s first public exhibition to mark its 45th anniversary – will be held from Oct 10 to Nov 1 at New Bahru.

ST PHOTO: LIM YAOHUI

Published Oct 09, 2026, 03:00 PM

Updated Oct 09, 2026, 08:15 PM

GIC is holding its first public exhibition, The Secret Vault, from Oct 10 to Nov 1 at New Bahru to mark its 45th anniversary.

The free show uses six interactive chambers to explain GIC’s history, long-term investing, inflation protection and risk management.

It also highlights GIC’s role in protecting Singapore’s financial future, but does not reveal how much of the reserves it manages.

SINGAPORE – Ever wondered how GIC – the world’s first non-commodity sovereign wealth fund – came to be, and how it helped build Singapore’s financial muscles amid upheavals through the decades?

You can now have a glimpse via The Secret Vault – GIC’s first public exhibition to mark its 45th anniversary.

To be held from Oct 10 to Nov 1 at New Bahru, this free event involves six interactive chambers where visitors can experience the guiding principles of long-term investing, inflation protection and disciplined risk management that GIC follows.

Start at The Archive, which traces GIC’s founding history through historical news articles and artefacts. Here, learn about the role of a single, torn US dollar bill in a clandestine deal to secure Singapore’s early financial independence.

The Archive traces GIC’s founding history through historical news articles and artefacts. ST PHOTO: LIM YAOHUI

The Archive traces GIC’s founding history through historical news articles and artefacts.

A replica of the letter from Dr Goh Keng Swee to Britain's Chancellor of the Exchequer on display inside The Archive at The Secret Vault exhibition. ST PHOTO: LIM YAOHUI

A replica of the letter from Dr Goh Keng Swee to Britain's Chancellor of the Exchequer on display inside The Archive at The Secret Vault exhibition.

Then, pick up a vintage telephone to hear first-hand accounts from GIC’s founder members – Dr Goh Keng Swee, Lee Kuan Yew and Yong Pung How. It was Goh’s idea to establish the fund manager, back when he was deputy prime minister and chairman of the Monetary Authority of Singapore.

The man appointed to lead the task as GIC’s first managing director was Singapore’s former chief justice Yong . He started his job with just a desk – no staff, no working telephone or even a chair – which visitors get to witness via an immersive recreation of those early days.

On May 22, 1981, GIC was incorporated as the “Government of Singapore Investment Corporation Pte Ltd”, riding on Singapore’s strong credit rating and sterling reputation.

Its legal name was officially changed to GIC Pte Ltd on July 23, 2013, to formalise the widely used brand name of “GIC” in the global investment community and markets that it operates in.

History then turns to a race against the clock in the form of a shopping challenge in The Global Inflation Hypermart.

History turns to a race against the clock in the form of a shopping challenge in The Global Inflation Hypermart, inside The Secret Vault, GIC's first public exhibition, at New Bahru School Hall. ST PHOTO: LIM YAOHUI

History turns to a race against the clock in the form of a shopping challenge in The Global Inflation Hypermart, inside The Secret Vault, GIC's first public exhibition, at New Bahru School Hall.

Prices keep heading north while your budget remains the same (sound familiar?), mirroring the real-life priority of careful planning and long-term investing to protect purchasing power.

In The Weather Room, financial headlines reflect decades of global events that shook economies the world over and can still send a shiver down your spine. It is also a reminder of why GIC prefers to stick to preparing for, rather than predicting, economic storms and ensuring it remains resilient.

In The Weather Room, financial headlines reflect decades of global events that shook economies the world over. PHOTO: GIC

In The Weather Room, financial headlines reflect decades of global events that shook economies the world over.

Next, make your way through a maze of hidden risks to try and nurture a digital garden at The Steward’s Gardens. The message? Even as threats lurk, patience is needed in long-term investing to reap the benefits of compounding.

Make your way through a maze of hidden risks to try and nurture a digital garden at The Steward’s Gardens. PHOTO: GIC

Make your way through a maze of hidden risks to try and nurture a digital garden at The Steward’s Gardens.

Continuing on, The Globe is an interactive exploration of how GIC invests across markets, sectors and geographies. You may be surprised by the brands and companies in its diverse portfolio.

The Globe is an interactive exploration of how GIC invests across markets, sectors and geographies. PHOTO: GIC

The Globe is an interactive exploration of how GIC invests across markets, sectors and geographies.

Finally, The Reserves of Tomorrow is a reminder of GIC’s role to secure Singapore’s financial future for succeeding generations, while also encouraging visitors to think about their own hopes for what lies ahead.

The Reserves of Tomorrow is a reminder of GIC’s role to secure Singapore’s financial future for succeeding generations, while also encouraging visitors to think about their own hopes for what lies ahead. PHOTO: GIC

The Reserves of Tomorrow is a reminder of GIC’s role to secure Singapore’s financial future for succeeding generations, while also encouraging visitors to think about their own hopes for what lies ahead.

The exhibition will not bring you any closer to knowing a long-held secret – how much of Singapore’s reserves GIC manages in more than 40 countries.

But any peek into the fund manager is always interesting, especially for younger professionals seeking to understand the thinking behind GIC’s mandate and stewardship, and for whom its key principles are also relevant for long-term personal financial planning.

The Secret Vault runs from Oct 10 to Nov 1, 2026, at New Bahru School Hall. Open from noon to 6pm on Mondays, and 11am to 7pm from Tuesday to Sunday. Admission is free, with tickets available at thesecretvault.gic.com.sg/event/2026/register THE BUSINESS TIMES

Sovereign wealth funds

为庆祝新加坡政府投资公司（GIC）成立 45 周年，其首个公开展览“秘密金库”将于 10 月 10 日至 11 月 1 日在新巴鲁举行。

ST 照片：林耀辉

发布于2026年10月9日下午3:00

更新于2026年10月9日晚上8:15

为庆祝成立 45 周年，新加坡政府投资公司 (GIC) 将于 10 月 10 日至 11 月 1 日在新巴鲁举办其首个公开展览“秘密金库”。

这场免费展览利用六个互动展厅来解释 GIC 的历史、长期投资、通货膨胀保护和风险管理。

报告还强调了新加坡政府投资公司（GIC）在保护新加坡金融未来方面的作用，但没有透露其管理的储备金规模。

新加坡——您是否曾想过，作为世界上第一个非商品主权财富基金，新加坡政府投资公司（GIC）是如何诞生的，以及它如何在过去几十年的动荡中帮助新加坡建立起强大的金融实力？

现在，您可以通过“秘密金库”一窥究竟——这是新加坡政府投资公司 (GIC) 为庆祝成立 45 周年而举办的首个公开展览。

本次免费活动将于 10 月 10 日至 11 月 1 日在新巴鲁举行，活动设有六个互动展厅，参观者可以在这里体验新加坡政府投资公司 (GIC) 遵循的长期投资、通货膨胀保护和纪律严明的风险管理的指导原则。

首先参观档案馆，这里通过历史新闻报道和文物追溯了新加坡政府投资公司（GIC）的创立历程。在这里，您将了解到一张撕破的美元钞票在确保新加坡早期金融独立的秘密交易中所扮演的角色。

该档案馆通过历史新闻报道和文物追溯了新加坡政府投资公司（GIC）的创立历史。（海峡时报照片：林耀辉）

该档案馆通过历史新闻报道和文物追溯了GIC的创立历史。

在“秘密宝库”展览的档案馆内，展出了吴庆瑞博士致英国财政大臣的信件复制品。（海峡时报摄影：林耀辉）

在“秘密金库”展览的档案馆内，展出了吴庆瑞博士致英国财政大臣的信件复制品。

然后，拿起一部老式电话，聆听新加坡政府投资公司（GIC）创始成员——吴庆瑞博士、李光耀和杨邦豪——的亲身讲述。创立这家基金管理公司是吴庆瑞博士的想法，当时他担任新加坡副总理兼金融管理局主席。

被任命为新加坡政府投资公司（GIC）首任董事总经理的是新加坡前首席大法官杨荣文。他上任之初只有一张办公桌——没有员工，没有电话，甚至连椅子都没有——参观者可以通过沉浸式体验来了解这段早期历史。

1981 年 5 月 22 日，新加坡政府投资公司 (GIC) 成立，名为“新加坡政府投资有限公司”，凭借新加坡强大的信用评级和卓越的声誉而成立。

2013 年 7 月 23 日，其法定名称正式更改为 GIC Pte Ltd，以正式确立“GIC”这一在全球投资界和其运营市场中广泛使用的品牌名称。

接下来，历史变成了一场与时间赛跑的竞赛，以“全球通货膨胀超市”的购物挑战的形式展开。

在新加坡新巴鲁学校礼堂举办的“全球通胀超级市场”（The Global Inflation Hypermart）——新加坡政府投资公司（GIC）的首个公开展览“秘密金库”（The Secret Vault）内，一场与时间赛跑的购物挑战赛正在上演。照片由《海峡时报》林耀辉拍摄。

在位于新巴鲁学校礼堂的“全球通货膨胀超级市场”内，“秘密金库”是GIC的首个公开展览，历史变成了一场与时间赛跑的购物挑战。

物价持续上涨，而你的预算却保持不变（听起来是不是很熟悉？），这反映了现实生活中，为了保护购买力，需要谨慎规划和长期投资。

在“天气预报室”中，财经新闻反映了数十年来撼动全球经济的重大事件，这些事件至今仍令人不寒而栗。这也提醒我们，新加坡政府投资公司（GIC）为何更倾向于未雨绸缪，而非预测经济风暴，以确保自身保持韧性。

在“天气预报室”栏目中，财经新闻反映了数十年来撼动世界各国经济的全球性事件。图片：新加坡政府投资公司（GIC）

在“天气预报室”中，财经新闻反映了数十年来撼动世界各国经济的全球事件。

接下来，您需要克服重重潜在风险，才能在斯图尔特花园 (The Steward's Gardens) 中培育出属于自己的数字花园。这传递的信息是：即使威胁潜伏，长期投资也需要耐心，才能收获复利带来的收益。

在斯图尔特花园 (The Steward's Gardens) 中，穿过重重暗藏的风险，尝试培育一座数字花园。图片：GIC

在斯图尔特花园，穿过重重隐藏的风险，努力培育一个数字花园。

接下来，《环球投资》将以互动的方式探索新加坡政府投资公司（GIC）如何在各个市场、行业和地区进行投资。您或许会对GIC多元化投资组合中的品牌和公司感到惊讶。

《环球投资》是一份互动式指南，探索新加坡政府投资公司（GIC）如何在不同市场、行业和地区进行投资。图片：新加坡政府投资公司

《环球》是一份互动式指南，探索新加坡政府投资公司 (GIC) 如何跨市场、跨行业、跨地域进行投资。

最后，“明日储备”展览提醒人们新加坡政府投资公司（GIC）在保障新加坡子孙后代金融未来方面所扮演的角色，同时也鼓励参观者思考他们对未来的希望。

“明日储备”旨在提醒人们新加坡政府投资公司（GIC）在保障新加坡子孙后代金融未来方面所扮演的角色，同时也鼓励参观者思考自己对未来的期许。图片：新加坡政府投资公司

“明日储备”旨在提醒人们新加坡政府投资公司（GIC）在保障新加坡子孙后代金融未来方面所扮演的角色，同时也鼓励参观者思考他们对未来的希望。

这次展览并不会让你更接近了解一个​​长期保守的秘密——新加坡政府投资公司（GIC）在 40 多个国家管理着多少新加坡储备金。

但对基金经理的任何了解总是很有趣的，尤其是对于希望了解 GIC 使命和管理理念的年轻专业人士而言，因为其关键原则也与长期个人财务规划相关。

“秘密金库”展览将于2026年10月10日至11月1日在新峇鲁学校礼堂举行。周一中午12点至下午6点开放，周二至周日上午11点至下午7点开放。免费入场，门票可在thesecretvault.gic.com.sg/event/2026/register网站领取。（商业时报）

主权财富基金