Recent buyout fundraising: $23 billion
Description: Since opening its doors with $400,000 in 1985, Blackstone has become known for sharp elbows and sharper deals. Witness its $3.8 billion buyout of Celanese in 2004: The firm put in $650 million in equity and almost immediately recouped $500 million with a junkbond offering. Or the way it unloaded $13 billion worth of buildings in its recent $38.9 billion buyout of Equity Office Partners before the ink was dry on the deal. As a hedge against a cyclical downturn in private equity, co-founder and CEO Steve A. Schwarzman has diversified the firm into hedge funds, distressed debt, asset management, and oh, yes, real estate. Moreover, the 60-year-old designated CSFB alum Hamilton "Tony" James president and his de facto successor in 2004.
Boldface advisors: Former Treasury Secretary Paul O'Neill.
Fun Fact: Co-founder Pete Peterson counts Alan Greenspan and Henry Kravis as golf buddies.
 What happens inside the exclusive enclave of private equity is roiling the economy in a way that it never has before. (more)  With a history-making deal and a headline-making birthday party, Steve Schwarzman has become the symbol of a new era in finance. (more) |
