Steve Schwarzman

"In some ways we did. I remember that Davos conversation with Steve Schwarzman at the beginning of 2007. I said: ‘Aren’t the markets unusual right now? There’s too much lending. It doesn’t feel right. I feel like everyone is chasing the same assets but prices are still going up so I’ve started selling assets in Bulgaria and the Czech Republic. I’m a little bit of a seller and a bit sceptical about buying, but I’m still looking at doing a deal.’"

"There in the south of France, I left the boat, went into the famous Nikki Beach bar and ran into Steve Schwarzman again. I told him about the deal. ‘Interesting,’ he said. ‘Deutsche must be in a world of pain right now. You’ve timed it perfectly.’ And this was from a master of timing in the financial markets who had just finished a $4 billion stock market flotation of his own company. I had no idea what he was talking about. But just as Deutsche Bank had wired the money, the market had begun to turn and the syndication markets closed."

"I went down to wait for her and then the mobile rang. It was Blackstone Group’s chairman Steve Schwarzman wanting to meet me in five minutes. But I was in the lobby with Claudia Schiffer about to arrive, so I grabbed another bystander whom I knew and said: ‘I’ve got the dream job here for you. Will you take over?’ He took over and I went to meet Steve. ‘I hope you realise what I’m doing for you here today because meeting you I’m giving up meeting Claudia Schiffer,’ I told him. ‘Really? Is she here?’ he asked. ‘Yes. She’s here. She just walked into a party down the corridor.’ After hearing this, he was, of course, much more interested in going to the party and meeting her."