Page "Blackstone Group" Paragraph 170

By the summer of 2006, Blackstone had a more ambitious goal and secretly began laying the groundwork for an IPO of the firm itself, and managed to keep the project quiet for eight or nine months.

On March 22, 2007, Blackstone filed with the SEC to raise $ 4 billion in an initial public offering.

On June 3, 2007, Blackstone announced the acquisition of Alliant Insurance Services, Inc., one of the nation ’ s largest insurance brokerage firm.

On June 21, Blackstone sold a 12. 3 % stake in its ownership for $ 4. 13 billion in the largest U. S. IPO since 2002.

Traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol BX, Blackstone priced at $ 31 per share on June 22, 2007.

Less than two weeks after the Blackstone IPO, in July 2007 rival private equity firm, Kohlberg Kravis Roberts, filed with the SEC In October 2009, KKR listed its shares on the Euronext exchange and anticipates a listing on the New York Stock Exchange.