Blackstone’s festive video: DJs, fitfluencers and middle age
Blackstone’s annual holiday video has dropped, and, in the festive spirit, the world’s largest alternatives manager is poking fun at itself for turning 40. Cue the midlife crisis.
Founded in 1985, the firm is now officially entering peak midlife, and chairman and chief executive Steve Schwarzman leans into the bit, joking about reinventing himself as a DJ. Elsewhere, the video gently teases president Jon Gray for continuing his fitfluencer-era running videos. Perhaps it’s time for the chief operating officer to pivot fully to TikTok, after all, he did appear on Kate Mackz’s channel back in Spring.
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While some characters in the video opt for more dramatic midlife manoeuvres, others take a more traditional route: buying Ferraris and sports teams. A few go all in on nose rings and tattoos. One could argue the firm is “rage-baiting”, a bold strategy, but very 2025.
There’s also a surprise cameo from Danny DeVito creating a Blackstone commercial as part of his Jersey Mike’s contract.
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However in a world of meaningless memes and trends, including six seven, Labubus and Dubai chocolate, at the end of the video Blackstone retreats to its 1980s roots, as Justin Bieber would argue “standing on business”, with a nostalgia-heavy music compilation celebrating the decade and prompting those to invest.
The montage features employees recreating Ghostbusters, Tom Cruise’s famous dance from Risky Business, and Dirty Dancing, before ending with Schwarzman and Gray dressed as Doc Brown and Marty McFly from Back to the Future.
