Stephen A. Schwarzman Quotes

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Stephen A. Schwarzman

Profession : Businessman

Every year, I speak to our new associates and give them this advice, although in my own words. 'This isn't like school,' I tell them, 'where you want to get your hand in the air and give an answer quickly. The only grade here is 100. Deadlines are important, but at Blackstone you can always get help in meeting them.'

Stephen A. Schwarzman

Blackstone is a major client of many of the largest banks around the world.

Stephen A. Schwarzman

We need sobriety, rationality, and civility in the discussions on the regulation of financial institutions so that the banks can return in a robust manner to their central role in funding the economy.

Stephen A. Schwarzman

In life, you'll often find that having influence and providing sound advice is a good thing, even if it attracts criticism or requires some sacrifice.

Stephen A. Schwarzman

Washington, D.C., puts enormous burdens on people who, at the end of the day, are just humans.

Stephen A. Schwarzman

What I've found in being around political people is they're willing to negotiate their ideology somewhere around 5 percent. They believe that's really stepping out. And it's really hard to do business when you only move 5 percent from your ideology.

Stephen A. Schwarzman

In 2014, Blackstone was the most profitable money manager in the world. I did not anticipate that.

Stephen A. Schwarzman

I like being in warm weather. I find that relaxes me. I like being near water. I like sitting on a beach and sort of hearing the water, watching waves break, looking at the shimmering. I find that really relaxing.

Stephen A. Schwarzman

I like creating new things.

Stephen A. Schwarzman

In the charitable world, I find myself giving to large projects that I think can make a large-scale impact.

Stephen A. Schwarzman

I've learned that all investments have risk.

Stephen A. Schwarzman

One of the rules I've learned is that struggling to try and think your way into making an investment is usually the best way to not have a great outcome.

Stephen A. Schwarzman

Ironically, when a bunch of very smart people are sitting around a table for hours trying to figure out whether they should do something, that tends to not necessarily lead to the best results.

Stephen A. Schwarzman

As long as you're excellent, things work out for you.

Stephen A. Schwarzman

My first trip to China was 1990, and that was in a world where there were virtually no cars at all on the road, and everybody had bicycles.

Stephen A. Schwarzman

I think people have to read more and learn more about what's going on internationally.

Stephen A. Schwarzman

After years of studying French in school, one of my professors said he'd really appreciate it if I didn't take any more French.

Stephen A. Schwarzman

There's usually room in the theme parks business for efficiencies on the cost side and new investment, which drives traffic.

Stephen A. Schwarzman

Part of China's strategic planning is to make their universities among the top level of the world, and I think they understand you can't do that without the adoption of some of the principles of the great universities in the West; one of those is the ability to have free expression and discussion in the classroom.

Stephen A. Schwarzman