The head of Blackstone has spoken out for the first time since the investment group restricted withdrawals from a $69bn property fund, tying a spate of redemptions to investors facing stress in Asia.
The outlook for the Blackstone Real Estate Income Trust, or Breit, has riveted Wall Street after the group limited withdrawals last week. Blackstone’s stock has slid more than 10 per cent since the announcement.
Blackstone chief executive Stephen Schwarzman on Wednesday disputed the idea that the restrictions reflected problems at the fund, which has $125bn of assets mostly invested in warehouses and apartments in the US when accounting for leverage.