Stephen A. Schwarzman Quotes

Stephen Allen Schwarzman, born on February 14, 1947, in Huntingdon Valley, Pennsylvania, is an influential American billionaire and businessman. As the chairman and CEO of the Blackstone Group, which he co-founded with Peter G. Peterson in 1985, Schwarzman has guided the firm to a prominent position in the global private equity sector. Raised in a Jewish family, his early entrepreneurial spirit was evident when he started a lawn-mowing business at the age of 14. He excelled academically, attending Yale University and later Harvard Business School, before entering the finance world. His career advanced rapidly at Lehman Brothers, where he became head of global mergers and acquisitions before launching Blackstone. The firm has significantly expanded under his leadership, managing approximately $500 billion in assets. Politically, Schwarzman is a Republican, known for his substantial contributions to party causes and candidacies, including those of George W. Bush and Donald Trump. Although he initially supported Trump's presidential endeavors and chaired his Strategic and Policy Forum, he distanced himself from Trump's 2024 campaign, advocating for new leadership within the party. Despite controversies, such as his harsh criticism of Obama-era tax policies, Schwarzman has remained a pivotal figure in financial and political circles.