Here is Steve Schwarzman’s story. Forbes named Steve the fifty-third most wealthy individual in America recently, but it’s his phenomenal rise to power in the finance world not to mention his contributions to education and the arts which set his tale apart from the crowd. Steve’s biography has been inspirational to individuals from all sorts of backgrounds additionally it serves as a reminder that anyone may become financially successful with only a modicum of persistence.

In the 1980’s Steve launched the Blackstone Group with his business partner Peter Peterson; initially it was a private equity and financial advisory business. The group has gone from strength to strength and these days is an industry giant in m&a.

Spending many of his early years in near Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Steve got his schooling in the Abingdon school district. After graduating from high school he decided to study at the esteemed Yale University in Connecticut and obtained his degree in 1969. Harvard Business School was the natural next stop on his pathway to success, here he graduated in 1972. Once he had finished his education, Steve started his job at Lehman Brothers investment bank. By the very young age of 31, he had been appointed a director.

Steve Schwarzman served as an assistant professor at the distinguished Yale School of Business Management and also donates to many not-for-profit organizations, education, and the liberal arts. As another example of his engagement, he is the latest Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the JFK Center for the Performing Arts in New York. Furthermore, he proclaimed with pride on March 11th, 2008 that he was gifting $100 million to the New York Public Library to help in financing their expansion. Steve also serves the library as a trustee.

Steve is now a role model for a new generation of business people: last year he was listed as one of Time Magazine’s 100 Most Influential People on the planet in acknowledgement of his many achievements. His quick rise in the business and financial communities is certainly miraculous, and without a shadow of a doubt his generosity has given America a different, loftier benchmark to strive for themselves in future.

With his business knowledge and dedication, it appears as if there isn’t anything he can’t do. On the whole, Stephen A. Schwarzman is an individual who has taken each opportunity given to him, but he has in the same stride employed his wealth and status as a means to bolster his community.