Repaying my debt to Japan: Stephen Schwarzman (1) - Nikkei Asia

I co-founded Blackstone, an American investment firm, in 1985.

We began with just two people. Over the next 40 years, that small firm grew into a thriving global enterprise with 5,000 employees. Today, clients around the world entrust us with more than $1.3 trillion in assets under management, roughly 200 trillion yen, a sum larger than Japan's general-account budget.

When people hear the term "asset management," they may think first of stocks and bonds. Blackstone is focused on the private markets, with 85 different strategies across private equity, real estate, infrastructure and other asset classes. For example, we are also the world's largest owner of data centers, the essential facilities that power artificial intelligence, which is now reshaping the global economy.