BlackRock Chairman and CEO Larry Fink told CNBC on Tuesday the world's largest money manager won't "run away" from doing business with Saudi Arabia.
Asked directly if it turns out the Saudi government ordered the murder of missing journalist Jamal Khashoggi would BlackRock cut financial ties with the kingdom, Fink said, "No."
Nobody likes to make black and white decisions, Fink added, arguing he does not think he needs to make one yet in this case.
Fink appeared on "Squawk Box" a day after he decided to not attend next week's Saudi Arabia investment conference as global outrage mounted over the disappearance of Khashoggi.
A number of American CEOs pulled out of the Future Investment Initiative event, also known as "Davos in the Desert," being co-hosted by the Saudi sovereign Public Investment Fund and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
NBC News reports the Saudi government is considering a plan to admit that Khashoggi, columnist for the Washington Post and critic of the Saudi royal family, was killed inside its consulate in Istanbul, Turkey.
Khashoggi, who left Saudi Arabia last year and relocated in Virginia, has not been seen since entering the consulate on October 2.
On Tuesday, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo met with Saudi King Salman, leader of the oil-rich monarchy.
President Donald Trump dispatched Pompeo to the kingdom after speaking with Salman on the phone. The president told reporters on Monday, "The king firmly denied any knowledge of it."
Without offering evidence, Trump also said Khashoggi could have died at the hands of "rogue killers," offering the U.S.-allied kingdom a possible path out of a global diplomatic firestorm.
This is a breaking news story. Check back shortly for updates.
— Associated Press contributed to this report.
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