For the Smart Money Cookie

Here in brief, is Stephen A. Schwarzman’s story. Recently Steve was number fifty three on the list of America’s most wealthy, but it isn’t only money that makes this story so intriguing but Steve’s unbelievable achievements in the business industry and his generosity to education and the liberal arts. His success story has been inspirational to numerous individuals worldwide and in addition it serves as a reminder that everyone can become financially successful through hard work and dedication.

In the 1980’s Stephen co-founded the Blackstone Group with his partner Peter Peterson; initially as a private equity management and financial advisory business. Of course, the Blackstone Group is now one of America’s largest M & A companies.

Living for most of childhood and adolescence in Pennsylvania, Steve commenced his schooling in suburban Philadelphia. He graduated from Abington Senior High School; his next step was to get his degree from Yale University in 1969. He set about taking a program of post graduate study at the legendary Harvard Business school in Cambridge, Massachusetts. After Yale he would join the corporate team at Lehman Brothers investment bank. He was appointed to the boards at the unusually precocious age of thirty one.

Stephen A. Schwarzman gives financial support to a variety of liberal arts as well as serving as an ancillary professor at the prestigious Yale School of Management. He is the Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Manhattan. In addition, Steve recently gifted to the New York Public Library a hundred million dollars to fund their recent expansion plans. In fact, the New York Public Library called one of their recently constructed buildings the “Stephen A. Schwarzman Building” to commemorate his lavish donation. So you won’t be too surprised to learn, the elite of America look to Steve Schwarzman as a role model — As one of Times Magazine’s 100 Most Influential People alive today, Steve is nowadays widely followed by the newspapers and shaping people’s lives all over the globe. His rise in the financial sector has unquestionably been nothing short of miraculous, and coupled with his readiness to give back to his own community through his unstinting contributions to the arts and education stimulates people who are following his example. Considering his industry knowledge, experience, and dedication, it seems like there’s nothing he can’t do. So, to summarize, Stephen A. Schwarzman is an individual who has taken the best advantage of each opportunity offered to him, but in return he has in the same stride made the best use of his money and status to cultivate his community.