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King of Capital
- The Remarkable Rise, Fall, and Rise Again of Steve Schwarzman and Blackstone
- Narrated by: George K. Wilson
- Length: 14 hrs and 42 mins
- Unabridged Audiobook
- Categories: Biographies & Memoirs, Professionals & Academics
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Publisher's Summary
The financial establishment---banks and investment bankers, such as Citigroup, Bear Stearns, Lehman, UBS, Goldman Sachs, Merrill Lynch, and Morgan Stanley---were the cowboys, recklessly assuming risks, leveraging up to astronomical levels, and driving the economy to the brink of disaster. In King of Capital, David Carey and John E. Morris show how Blackstone (and other private equity firms) transformed themselves from gamblers, hostile-takeover artists, and "barbarians at the gate" into disciplined, risk-conscious investors. This is the greatest untold success story on Wall Street. Not only have Blackstone and a small coterie of competitors wrested control of corporations around the globe, but they have emerged as a major force on Wall Street, challenging the likes of Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley for dominance. And since it is sitting on billions of dollars that can be invested at a time when the market is starved for capital, Blackstone is now ready to break out once again.
Insightful and hard-hitting, King of Capital is filled with never-before-revealed details about the workings of a heretofore secretive company that was the personal fiefdom of Steve Schwarzman and Peter Peterson. A great human interest story, as well, it tells how Blackstone went from two guys and a secretary to being one of Wall Street's most powerful institutions---far outgrowing its much older rival KKR---and how Schwarzman, with a pay packet one year of $398 million and $684 million from the Blackstone IPO, came to epitomize the spectacular new financial fortunes amassed in the 2000s.
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Average Customer RatingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- Marc
- 04-23-13
Great Story Ruined by Monotone Reading
What did you like best about King of Capital? What did you like least?
I think the story of Blackstone and more broadly LBOs and the evolution of finance is a great story and very interesting. The writing itself is crisp but sometimes veers off.
The largest issue I have with this is the narration. While the narrator is talented, I think he is ill equipped for this kind of book. He has a monotone voice that drones along from development to development. I find it so bad that it is difficult to get through the book.
What did you like best about this story?
The subject matter and the perspective.
Who would you have cast as narrator instead of George K. Wilson?
Anyone.
Do you think King of Capital needs a follow-up book? Why or why not?
No I think it does a fine job of covering the subject thus far.
5 people found this helpful
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- Ben
- 10-14-13
Very complete story of Blackstone vs. rest of PE
If you could sum up King of Capital in three words, what would they be?
Inside private equity
What did you like best about this story?
The details about how many of the deals were structured and the thought processes behind them.
What about George K. Wilson’s performance did you like?
Indifferent to Wilson's performance, but I can say that I listened to it on 1.5x and I have no complaints on his style.
Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?
Yes.
Any additional comments?
A great read for anyone who wants to learn more about Schwarzman, Blackstone, and private equity in general.
2 people found this helpful
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- Mike Martin
- 05-07-12
Can't make it through
Would you try another book from John E. Morris and David Carey and/or George K. Wilson?
I'm not sure who thought it would be a good idea to have the reader for this book, but it was an incredibly bad idea. This will an audible first for me, but I've decided to not continue wit this book because I just can't follow the reader. He speaks in an incredibly slow cadence like he's telling some kind of fairy tale. He should not be narrating business books.
5 people found this helpful
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- Mathew
- 05-01-16
Schooled
Learned a lot in regards to Private Equity! Clarified questions in regards to the industry! Lengthy, and you will be using the 30 second loop button.
1 person found this helpful
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Overall
- Don Wang
- 04-15-16
King of Capital
Very good case study on how a firm grow from a two people shop to the number one private equity -LBO company in the world. Even though the title is the King of Capital, it actually tells us how to become the king though constantly adjust your firm's strategy,hiring new blood, handling regulations, seize the business oppertunities based on economic cycle and globle growth,
etc. Recommends this book to small and big business owers.
1 person found this helpful
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- Truc To
- 03-18-11
The next Goldman Sach?
I own BX stock (not an emplyee), thus, this book presents a special personal interest -- read it twice.
It provides fascinating detail into the deals and the people behind them.
With an abundant pool of interlectual and capital, Blackstone is the contender to be the next great financial institute.
1 person found this helpful
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- Jose
- 08-04-20
This is a scattered book, slow, and almost boring
If you have not read anything about Private Equity or Schwarzman, then this will be a very interesting book.
But if you have read a bit, then this is all repeat material in slower pace than other higher quality books.
The narration is not great, slow book with slow narration. It was hard work to listen.
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- Nadir Rabah
- 05-04-20
very exciting story
very awesome story. if one wants to learn about business acquisitions this is the book to learn it from.
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- Javier E Garcia
- 01-23-20
This book is amazing
Book it amazing life changing and worth the time investments time. Hey a copy you won’t regret it
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- Marcel
- 06-18-19
PE enthusiasts this is it.
For anybody curious about the world of PE. This gives a blue print of what the barbarians at the gate have accomplished.