The Blackstone Group L.P. is a publicly owned investment manager. The firm also provides financial advisory services to its clients. It provides its services to public and corporate pension funds, academic, cultural, and charitable organizations. The firm manages separate client focused portfolios. It launches and manages private equity funds, real estate funds, funds of hedge funds, and credit-focused funds for its clients. It invests in private equity, public equity, fixed income, and alternative investment markets. The firm was founded in 1985 and is based in New York, New York.