Real estate company Blackstone confirmed that one of its executives Wesley LePatner was among those killed in the July 28 mass shooting at the company’s Park Avenue office building in New York City. Wesley Lepatner, a prominent Jewish leader, was a star executive in Blackstone’s real estate business. The global investment firm said that Wesley LePatner was killed in the attack, which left three other innocent victims dead including off-duty NYPD officer Didarul Islam and injured other people.
“Words cannot express the devastation we feel. Wesley was a beloved member of the Blackstone family and will be sorely missed. She was brilliant, passionate, warm, generous, and deeply respected within our firm and beyond,” the statement read. “She embodied the best of Blackstone. Our prayers are with her husband, children and family.”
The statement continued: “We are also saddened by the loss of the other innocent victims as well, including brave security personnel and NYPD.”
Blackstone President Jon Gray referenced her “tremendous talent” when it was announced she would take leadership of the investment vehicle from former BREIT CEO Frank Cohen, who stepped down in January.
Blackstone executive killed in NYC shoting
A board member for UJA-Federation of New York and The Abraham Joshua Heschel School, Wesley LePatner was in the lobby when she was fatally struck, per The Wall Street Journal. She is listed on Blackstone’s website as a senior managing director who leads real estate investments.
Her biography on Blackstone’s website mentions that LePatner was the Global Head of Core+ Real Estate and the Chief Executive Officer of Blackstone Real Estate Income Trust (BREIT) and had been with the company since 2014. She joined the company in 2014 after working for more than a decade at Goldman Sachs, where she also handled real estate.
She began her career in the firm’s Real Estate Principal Investment Area and Investment Banking Group. At Blackstone, LePatner played a central role in expanding the firm’s core-plus real estate strategy, which includes investments in rental housing, data centers, and logistics assets. Earlier this year, she was appointed CEO of BREIT, a real estate investment trust.
LePatner also held a seat on Blackstone Real Estate’s Investment Committee and previously served as Chief Operating Officer of the firm’s Core+ business and of BREIT. In 2023, she was honored at a UJA-Federation event.
A Yale University graduate with a BA in History, LePatner was deeply involved in civic and cultural organizations. She held board positions at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, The Abraham Joshua Heschel School, the UJA-Federation of New York, and the Yale University Library Council. Additionally, she served on the Advisory Board of Governors of NAREIT, the premier association for real estate investment trusts.
What is Blackstone?
Blackstone is the largest commercial landlord in history. Blackstone is an asset manager, a type of private financial firm that invests the wealth of pension funds and insurance companies.
Blackstone is a global investment firm specializing in alternative assets beyond traditional stocks, bonds, and cash — including private equity, hedge funds, and real estate. Founded in 1985, the company has grown into a financial powerhouse and currently manages $1.2 trillion in assets.
“Blackstone is the world’s largest alternative asset manager, with more than $1 trillion in AUM. We serve institutional and individual investors by building strong businesses that deliver lasting value. Our scale – with 12,500+ real estate assets and 250+ portfolio companies[1] – enables us to invest in dynamic sectors positioned for long-term growth,” its website reads.
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One of the world’s largest landlords, Blackstone has significant interests in rental housing. And in the recent years, it has spend billions acquiring brands such as Tricon Residential, American Campus Communities and AIR Communities.
The company’s rental housing portfolio contains apartment complexes, student housing, mobile home parks, and single-family rental properties. Many of their U.S. assets are concentrated in major cities such as New York and in Sun Belt states including Texas, Georgia and Florida. The Blackstone Real Estate Income Trust currently has an ownership interest in at least 274,859 rental housing units, according to CNBC.
Blackstone has reportedly faced criticism from some tenants and affordable housing advocates over it how manages properties, according to Gothamist. Climate activists have also called out the company for its investments in fossil fuels.
But authorities are yet to given an official statement on whether the gunman was targeting Blackstone. They are rather probing whether the shooter was aiming to attack the building’s NFL offices.