Blackstone Winner

Blackstone is a colossus in the realm of private equity (PE). Founded in 1985 by two Lehman Brothers alumni, Steven Schwarzman and Peter Peterson (the firm’s name is based on their surnames), it has acquired such notable companies as Hilton Worldwide, property owner EQ Office, and retailer Michaels, often partnering with other PE players. Blackstone has $120 billion under management and 104 portfolio companies. According to Private Equity International, Blackstone is the world’s largest PE provider—quite a distinction, what with the buyout business on fire lately. Recently, Bloomberg reported that the PE operator was raising $30 billion for a new buyout fund that would be the largest ever. The most recent one, in 2019, raised $26 billion. The firm emphasizes that it only engages in friendly transactions. It became a public company in 2007.

Finalists

• Balderton Capital

• Cullen Group

• Dyal Capital Partners (a subsidiary of Neuberger Berman)

• K1 Investment Management

• RedBird Capital Partners

• Silicon Valley Capital Partners