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How a Bus Chat with Jack Ma Pushed Blackstone into AI and Data Centers
Stephen Schwarzman says a 2015 bus conversation with Jack Ma convinced Blackstone to invest heavily in AI, building a major data-center footprint and reshaping the firm’s tech strategy.
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What stands out
Stephen Schwarzman describes a chance bus conversation in 2015 with Jack Ma that shifted Blackstoneās view on artificial intelligence and pushed the firm to build a large data-center footprint. The clip matters because it is a rare, plainspoken admission from a founder-led buyout firm that a single offhand meeting changed multi-billion-dollar capital allocation. Schwarzmanās anecdote is concrete evidence of how anecdote and conviction can drive strategic shifts at private-asset managers, and it explains why Blackstoneās later moves into data centers and infrastructure feel less accidental and more deliberate.
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Current ratings and signals
Blackstone Inc. (BX)
Neutral
BX rates Neutral overall. The fundamental read is neutral: the company passes 4 of 9 quality tests on the Piotroski F-Score; revenue is growing about 22.8% per year; net income is growing about 29.3% per year. The technical picture is neutral: price is 4.6% below the 200-day moving average; 5.7% below the 50-day; the 50/200 relationship is in a Golden cross. Sentiment is neutral (composite 56/100), based on 3 news articles and 3 qualified videos from recent coverage.