A brief look at Blackstone Group

A brief look at Blackstone Group:

DESCRIPTION: Private equity firm that manages the world's second-largest buyout fund. Services also include real estate, funds management, corporate restructuring and merger and acquisition advice.

OPERATIONS: Headquartered in New York, with offices in Los Angeles, Atlanta, Boston, London, Hamburg, Paris, Mumbai and Hong Kong.

ASSETS: Companies and real-estate holdings valued at $88 billion.

EMPLOYEES: Approximately 800.

HISTORY: Founded in 1985 by Stephen Schwarzman, now chairman and CEO, and Peter Peterson, senior chairman.

PORTFOLIO: Companies include Madame Tussaud's waxwork museums, Extended Stay America, Houghton Mifflin Co., Legoland and Universal Studios Florida. Corporate restructurings include America West Airlines, Barney's New York, Chiquita Brands International Inc., Dow Corning Corp., Enron Corp., Macy's Inc. and Xerox Corp.

MAJOR DEALS: Blackstone acquired Equity Office Properties Trust, the largest office landlord in the U.S, for $23 billion in February, making it the largest private equity deal on record. In March, Blackstone-controlled Merlin Entertainments Group merged with Dubai International Capital's Tussauds Group to form the second-largest global theme park operator in the industry after Disney.