Blackstone Inc.’s Wesley LePatner, a top executive in the firm’s $325 billion real estate business, was killed Monday when a gunman opened fire at the company’s Manhattan headquarters. She was 43.
Hailed as “wicked smart” by Blackstone President Jon Gray and an “extraordinary talent” by former Executive Vice Chairman Tony James, LePatner rose through the ranks rapidly, this year taking on the role of chief executive officer of the Blackstone Real Estate Income Trust, a $53 billion property owner.
She has served on the boards of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the UJA-Federation of New York and the Yale University Library Council.
“Wesley was brilliant,” said James, who mentored her for years as the former president of Blackstone and co-chair of the Met. “She was the warmest, kindest person with a young family. She never would have threatened a fly. She, in my view, was one of the people that had the potential to lead any organization, including Blackstone and including the Met, where we just put her on the board.”
Blackstone confirmed in a statement that LePatner was among those killed by a gunman in the shooting spree at 345 Park Ave. in Manhattan on Monday.
“Words cannot express the devastation we feel,” the company said. “She was brilliant, passionate, warm, generous and deeply respected within our firm and beyond.”
LePatner is survived by her husband, Evan, and their two children.
“We cannot properly express the grief we feel upon the sudden and tragic loss of Wesley,” the family said in a statement to the media. “She was the most loving wife, mother, daughter, sister and relative, who enriched our lives in every way imaginable.”
The executive, who joined Blackstone in 2014 after more than a decade at Goldman Sachs Group Inc., was the head of the core-plus real estate business, a major division at the asset manager that’s known for buying and holding investments with steadier returns.
The firm had been eyeing her for bigger responsibilities, and put her in charge of the core-plus business in 2023, just as property markets were under significant pressure from rising interest rates. Colleagues remember her as a steady hand who led with composure during a complicated stretch.
She also took the helm of BREIT, a major piece of Blackstone’s push to attract funds from wealthy individuals. The trust owns properties including data centers, rental apartments and warehouses.
During her rise at the firm, LePatner was an avid supporter of her business associates, leaving encouraging comments all over LinkedIn to congratulate others on new jobs, ventures and life changes.
In a statement, Goldman Sachs called LePatner a “wonderful person and a beloved colleague at both Blackstone and Goldman Sachs.”
LePatner helped organize a trip to Israel last year for senior women on Wall Street, and chose volunteer opportunities that engaged her family, according to the UJA.
“The world has lost a shining star,” Eric Goldstein, CEO of the UJA Federation of New York, said in a statement. “Wesley was extraordinarily committed to philanthropy, Jewish life and helping others.”
LePatner was the honoree at a UJA dinner in 2023, where Gray called her a person who “cares deeply about others.”
Speaking at the dinner, LePatner recalled how she had attended similar events two decades earlier, where there were no women on stage and very few in the audience.
“I encourage all of you to use your voice,” she told the crowd. “It matters now more than ever.”
(Credit: Victor J. Blue/Bloomberg)
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