Jon Gray
Jon Gray is the President and Chief Operating Officer of The Blackstone Group, the world’s largest alternative asset manager. Under his leadership, Blackstone’s assets under management have more than doubled to over $1.2 trillion, as the firm has greatly expanded the breadth of clients it serves, including insurance companies and individual investors. Prior to becoming President and COO, Gray led Blackstone’s Real Estate business, which he helped build into the largest commercial real estate platform globally. One of his most notable achievements was orchestrating Blackstone’s $26 billion acquisition of Hilton Hotels in 2007 and subsequently taking the company public again in 2013. At the time, the Hilton IPO was the largest in history for a hotel company, marking a landmark moment in the hospitality and real estate sectors. Gray also serves as Chairman of Hilton Worldwide, playing a key role in its ongoing strategic growth. Beyond his corporate responsibilities, he is an active philanthropist, supporting a range of education, healthcare, and community initiatives.
Jon Gray Professional Experience / Academic History
Professional Experience
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President and Chief Operating Officer
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Chairman of the Board
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Global Head of Real Estate
Academic History
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B.S., Economics and B.A., English
CURRENT AFFILIATIONS
Chairman of the Board, Hilton Worldwide
Co-Founder, Gray Foundation
Board Member, XRG
Board Member, Harlem Village Academies
Jon Gray joined Blackstone in 1992 as an asset manager in M&A and quickly rose through the ranks to become head of the firm’s acclaimed real estate group.
Under his leadership, Blackstone’s real estate division expanded to manage over $366 billion, becoming one of the firm’s most valuable business lines and a global industry leader.
In 2018, Gray was named President and Chief Operating Officer, overseeing Blackstone’s global operations and sitting on the firm’s Management Committee as well as nearly all of its investment committees.
He plays a pivotal role in driving the firm’s leading investment strategies across private equity, real estate, credit, infrastructure, life sciences, growth equity, insurance, hedge funds, and secondaries.
Gray is widely regarded as a potential successor to Co-Founder and CEO Steve Schwarzman, underscoring his central role in shaping the future of the firm.
MEDIA PRESENCE
Gray has been widely profiled in top-tier financial media, reflecting his influence in global finance and real estate.
His insights have been featured in Forbes, Bloomberg, Fortune, The Wall Street Journal, CNBC, Business Insider, Financial Times, The New York Times, MarketWatch, and Institutional Investor.
PHILANTHROPY
Gray and his wife Mindy Gray are deeply committed to philanthropy. In 2012, they founded the Basser Center for BRCA at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, a pioneering initiative dedicated to the prevention and treatment of BRCA-related cancers.
They also established NYC Kids RISE, a college savings program that provides every New York City public school kindergartner with a scholarship fund, helping low-income children build a financial foundation for higher education.
The Grays’ impactful giving has earned them recognition on The Chronicle of Philanthropy’s list of the largest donors in the United States, cementing their reputation as major philanthropic leaders.