Jonathan D. Gray (born February 4, 1970[1]) is an American billionaire businessman who is the president and chief operating officer of Blackstone Group, a New York–based asset management firm.
[8] Gray led Blackstone's LBO of Hilton Hotels, which became the most profitable private equity real estate deal ever, earning $14 billion for the firm's investors.
In 2013, Gray helped create a business venture through Blackstone called Invitation Homes to buy foreclosed single-family houses and turn them into rentals.
[14][15] The Wall Street Journal reported that Gray went on the “biggest home buying spree in history” after the foreclosure crisis, spending $10 billion in the company's first four years.
[7][18] As president, Gray encouraged a thematic approach across Blackstone’s businesses, investing in companies or assets that stand to benefit from larger trends, including: shifts to e-commerce, advancements in life sciences, increased demand for data centers due to artificial intelligence, investments related to the energy transition, and the growth of private credit.
[33] The Gray Foundation was launched in 2014, focusing on inherited BRCA mutations and increasing access to education and healthcare for low-income youth in New York City.
[43] In July 2019, it was announced that the Grays would donate a further $25 million for research on pernicious genetic mutations that can lead to breast and ovarian cancer.
Gray recently donated $10 million to purchase a building in northern Manhattan which will serve as the organization's second elementary school.
[citation needed] In 2019, the Gray’s announced a $10 million gift to support first-generation, low-income students attending the University of Pennsylvania.
[49] In 2021 the Gray Foundation contributed $15 million to a program that opens a college savings account with $100 for every child enrolled in New York City public kindergartens.
[50] In 1995, Gray married Mindy Basser at Temple Beth Zion Israel in Philadelphia; the ceremony was officiated by Rabbi Ira F.