The stock will trade on the NYSE. Morgan Stanley & Co. Inc.and Citigroup Global Markets Inc. are global coordinators andunderwriters of the transaction. They and Merrill Lynch & Co,Credit Suisse, Lehman Brothers and Deutsche Bank Securities andjoint book-running managers of the IPO.

The IPO was concurrent with Blackstone's previously announcedsale of $3 billion in non-voting stock, a full 10% of the company,to China through its State Investment Co. subsidiary.

"We have decided to become a public company," Blackstone said ina filing of its IPO intention in March, "to access new sources ofpermanent capital that we can use to invest in our existingbusinesses, to expand into complementary new businesses and tofurther strengthen our development as an enduring institution; toenhance our firms valuable brand; to provide us with a publiclytraded equity currency and to enhance our flexibility in pursuingfuture strategic acquisitions."