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

[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.

Then, pick up a vintage telephone to hear first-hand accounts from GIC’s founding members – Dr Goh Keng Swee, Lee Kuan Yew and Yong Pung How. It was Dr 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 Jul 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.

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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.

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.

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.

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 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 12 noon to 6 pm on Mondays, and 11 am to 7 pm from Tuesday to Sunday. Admission is free, with tickets available at thesecretvault.gic.com.sg/event/2026/register