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There are a million stories about Stephen Schwarzman from Wall Street but the best lores come from Schwarzman himself. From a young age he knew that success takes seizing opportunities and going after what you want.

In the late 1970s, Schwarzman decided to attend Harvard Business School. It took him nearly six months to get an appointment with the dean.

““I basically showed up and I said, “Look, you’ve got teachers who can’t teach and a curriculum that’s outmoded and students who can’t learn. You’ve got an ineffective administration.” I gave him examples of why I thought each of those, and a set of solutions. And he just looked at me and he said, “Mr. Schwarzman, have you always been a misfit?”,” Schwarzman recounted in a recent Business Insider podcast.

Indeed both Harvard Business School and Stephen Schwarzman have come a long way since 1970.

In 1984, Schwarzman was the head of M&A at Lehman Brothers. The firm was suffering and Schwarzman struck a deal with American Express without the knowledge of Lehman CEO Lewis Glucksman. The next year Schwarzman left Lehman to join his former boss, Pete Peterson, to start their new business, Blackstone.

Blackstone started as a private equity shop buying companies with debt, restructuring them and then selling them for a profit. Today the firm manages over $500 billion. Schwarzman is one of the most admired leaders in the king-making world of finance.

Schwarzman reflects on his life and career in What it Takes (Simon & Schuster, September 2019), while also doling out career advice.

Schwarzman will join the Club for an exclusive discussion about his illustrious career, philanthropy and discuss the issues of the day. Books will be sold on premises. Please join us for this can’t-miss event with one of the titans of modern finance.

Please note that no refunds will be issued.