Key facts
- Blackstone manages over $1.3 trillion in assets.
- Blackstone is the world's largest player in private markets.
- Schwarzman advised U.S. Presidents on economic policy and trade.
- Former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe was assassinated in 2022.
- Japanese capital was crucial in building Blackstone in its early years.
Stephen Schwarzman, the co-founder of Blackstone, shared personal reflections on his career and his relationship with former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. Schwarzman highlighted that Japanese capital was instrumental in the early growth of Blackstone, which now manages over $1.3 trillion in assets across various private market strategies. He noted that Blackstone is the world's largest player in private markets and is a major owner of data centers essential for AI. Schwarzman also recounted his role in advising U.S. Presidents, including conveying the U.S. perspective to China during the Trump administration. He expressed deep admiration for Shinzo Abe, recalling the positive impact of 'Abenomics' on the Japanese economy and the profound sense of loss following Abe's assassination in 2022. After a period of withdrawal in the 1990s, Schwarzman is now convinced that Japan will be a key investment destination for the next decade or two and intends to contribute to its growth.