Blackstone

Founded in 1985 by Stephen A. Schwarzman and Peter G. Peterson, Blackstone began as a mergers and acquisitions advisory boutique before expanding into a global investment powerhouse. The firm's name is a cryptogram of its founders' names: 'Schwarz' meaning black in German and 'Peter' meaning stone in Greek. Early in its history, the firm incubated the business that would eventually become BlackRock, though it later sold its stake in what Schwarzman described as his worst business decision.

Blackstone is a dominant force in the private equity industry, known for executing some of the largest leveraged buyouts in history, such as the acquisitions of EQ Office and Hilton Hotels. The firm's investment platform has diversified significantly over the decades to include real estate, credit, infrastructure, hedge fund solutions, and insurance. It became a public company in 2007 through one of the largest U.S. initial public offerings of that decade.

Headquartered in New York City, the firm manages over $1 trillion in assets as of 2025. Its real estate division is one of the world's largest owners of commercial property, while its private equity and credit arms remain central to its global operations. The firm continues to be a major player in global financial markets, focusing on high-conviction investment themes across a wide array of sectors.