Europe has become a “sweet bastard”! CEO Kuroishi says it will invest up to 500 billion US dollars in the next 10 years

The Zhitong Finance App learned that Blackstone Group CEO Steve Schwarzman said in an interview on Tuesday that the company plans to invest up to 500 billion US dollars in Europe over the next 10 years, “this is a major opportunity for us.” This interview is to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the alternative asset management company operating in London.

Schwarzman's remarks are the latest sign that investment firms are aggressively touting Europe's appeal. At the SuperReturn International conference held in Berlin last week, executives from major investment firms such as BC Partners, Permira, and Brookfield Asset Management discussed Europe as a worthwhile investment destination as global economic risks rise.

According to the statement, when Blackstone opened its London office in 2000, the company's only other office was in New York. At the time, the company had raised more than $13 billion for discretionary investment funds focused on alternative asset classes.

Today, Blackstone is the world's largest alternative asset management company, with over $1 trillion in assets under management and offices in 27 cities around the world.

Schwarzman said the company's London office will move to a new building under construction at Berkeley Square in Mayfair, which currently has 650 employees. He also added that the company has invested around $100 billion in the UK and is one of the largest foreign investors in the UK.

Blackstone has invested heavily in the UK real estate sector, including building a data center in northern England, which has the potential to become Europe's largest data center.

“The British Government has really helped a lot and is very committed to achieving this goal,” Schwarzman said.

Outside of Europe, Blackstone also sees the Middle East as an investment destination rather than just a region that has raised huge sums of money. He said that although the region is traditionally dominated by local businesses and capital, the rapid development of cities such as Riyadh and Dubai into international hubs is making the region an attractive investment opportunity.