Blackstone

Blackstone, the brainchild of Peter G. Peterson and Stephen A. Schwarzman in 1985, is the colossal titan of private equity known for its audacious buyouts and a penchant for shaking up the corporate world. With a valuation soaring north of $100 billion, Blackstone’s defining moment came when it pulled off the largest leveraged buyout in history, gobbling up Hilton Hotels for a cool $26 billion in 2007, right before the financial world went to hell in a handbasket. Known for its ruthlessness, Blackstone has seen its share of controversies, from accusations of gutting companies for profit to debates over its role in the housing market. Under the watchful eye of Schwarzman, who never met a power tie he didn’t like, the firm has managed to amass an empire spanning real estate, credit, hedge fund solutions and more, while its founder himself has become an emblem of Wall Street opulence and power. Despite its scandals and the occasional public relations nightmare, Blackstone has continued to thrive, earning accolades and awards as it navigates the turbulent waters of global finance with a swagger that’s unmistakably its own.