What It Takes

I’ve always been interested by what Blackstone has done and continues to do on the global stage, so it was valuable to read Schwarzman’s biographical account. There is a lot in this book, from his time working for others on Wall St., and quietly figuring out for himself where the inefficiencies were both in the culture and operating practices of companies, but also in the macro trends of finance, to Schwarzman and Pete Peterson’s creation of Blackstone and their trouble raising their first fund.

One thing that also differentiates Schwarzman from others at the helm of large financial institutions is how much of a role he plays in global affairs and economic policy. Hearing how he has approached working with, and in, China at the government level, as well as how he delegates much of his time as an ad-hoc, unofficial advisor for heads of state, was helpful here