The CIA Meets with the Head of Every Top American Bank // Mike Benz

Mike Benz | Trusted Newsmaker

The CIA, Wall Street, and the Hidden Architecture of Power

When most people think of the CIA, they imagine spies, covert missions, and shadowy operatives. But to truly understand the agency, you need to see it as what it really is: a business service. The CIA doesn’t topple governments out of ideology. It does so because certain financial interests demand it. Banks and corporations need markets secured, resources unlocked, and regimes removed if they don’t play ball. And the CIA is the enforcement arm of that system.

The CIA as Corporate Enforcer

Whether it’s a left-wing government, a right-wing nationalist one, or a secular administration that simply resists foreign capital, the CIA has been there to knock it down. The pattern is consistent: a government stands in the way of business interests, and the CIA steps in to make room for someone more compliant. This isn’t about democracy or freedom. It’s about money, markets, and control.

The Banking Connection

Behind these covert actions, you’ll almost always find major American banks. Think about it: the global financial system doesn’t operate in isolation. It needs geopolitical stability—at least stability that benefits investors. The CIA provides that. When Chase Manhattan, Citibank, or today’s giants like JPMorgan and BlackRock want new markets opened or foreign leaders pressured, intelligence operations clear the path. The agency secures access, and in return, bankers gain early knowledge and leverage for investments.

David Rockefeller and Chase Manhattan

Take David Rockefeller, the legendary head of Chase Manhattan Bank. His background was not just finance—it was military intelligence. His career and his family’s oil empire were deeply intertwined with U.S. foreign policy. Chase Manhattan spread across the globe, becoming a central pillar of the international banking system, and at every step, the CIA was there in the background. State Department negotiations, covert actions, and diplomatic pressure all worked to make sure Chase could plant branches wherever American corporate power wanted them.

Rockefeller wasn’t just a banker; he was a shadow diplomat. He met with U.S. presidents and foreign rulers, often playing the role of unofficial emissary. During the Iran hostage crisis, his lobbying to admit the Shah of Iran into the U.S. helped trigger the standoff. In Chile, Chase’s interests aligned with the CIA’s operation to oust Salvador Allende. It wasn’t just politics—it was business, dressed up in the language of geopolitics.

Insider Knowledge and Market Advantage

Here’s where things get darker. Executives like Rockefeller were reportedly briefed on covert CIA operations. Imagine the power that gives a banker. While laws prohibit insider trading within corporations, there’s no law stopping insider trading on national security secrets. If Chase knew months in advance that a coup was being planned in a resource-rich country, it could position itself in copper, oil, or gold markets long before anyone else. The banks weren’t just beneficiaries of CIA activity—they were active players using intelligence as market leverage.

The Web of Influence

This relationship didn’t stop at Rockefeller. Figures like Larry Fink of BlackRock and his deputy Tom Donilon show the continuity of these ties. Donilon, for example, won the CIA Director’s Award and was even asked by President Biden to lead the agency. He declined—preferring instead to stay at BlackRock, where the pay was better. The revolving door between intelligence, banking, and government is not a conspiracy theory—it’s business as usual.

NGOs, Media, and the Soft Power Angle

The CIA’s work isn’t limited to coups. It operates through USAID partnerships, NGOs, and even cultural programs. Rockefeller’s charitable funds supported arts and civic institutions, which doubled as avenues of influence. Media campaigns, youth programs, and civil society groups became tools for shaping public opinion at home and abroad. This blending of hard and soft power ensured that financial interests weren’t just protected by force but reinforced by culture and perception.

The Bigger Picture

What emerges is a “waterfall of power”: banks and hedge funds control corporations, which in turn influence politicians and policy. The CIA ensures this system operates globally, smoothing out resistance and punishing those who defy it. It’s not about left or right, capitalism or socialism—it’s about securing the dominance of American financial interests worldwide.

Conclusion

The CIA is often portrayed as a protector of national security, but when you trace the connections, a different picture emerges. It’s less about ideology and more about empire—an empire not of flags and borders, but of banks, corporations, and capital flows. From David Rockefeller’s Chase Manhattan to BlackRock today, the fusion of intelligence and finance has shaped world events in ways most people never see. Understanding this hidden architecture is the first step toward recognizing who truly benefits when the CIA acts abroad: not the American people, but the global financial elite.