Hotel Management's sister media arm, Hospitality Insights, has published a long-form, deep dive on private-equity powerhouse Blackstone, which delves into its deal for Hilton, if a deal of that magnitude could ever transact again and why Blackstone has been such a dominant PE force—straight from one of its executive's mouth.
Blackstone began its pursuit of Hilton in 2006, furtively naming the transaction internally "Project Murphy," a nod to actor Eddie Murphy, who played the lead role in the 1984 film "Beverly Hills Cop." (Hilton at the time was based in Beverly Hills, Calif.) Blackstone's acquisition of Hilton figuratively set off fireworks within the industry: the deal was announced on July 3, 2007. In the end, Blackstone's bet on Hilton paid off, ultimately hauling in a profit of $14 billion.
Read the full story HERE, to find out what Hilton CEO Chris Nassetta has to say about private equity chasing deals today, how Blackstone fits in and how it became the master of the PE universe.