Blackstone Closes GSO Acquisition

New York The Blackstone Group L.P. (NYSE: BX) announced today that it closed the previously-announced acquisition of GSO Capital Partners LP and certain of its affiliates on March 3, 2008. The purchase price, subject to certain closing adjustments, paid by Blackstone consists of cash and Blackstone Holdings Partnership Units currently valued at $635 million in the aggregate, plus up to an additional targeted $310 million to be paid over the next five years contingent upon the realization of specified earnings targets over that period. Additionally, profit sharing and other compensatory payments subject to performance and vesting may be paid to the GSO personnel.

GSO is an alternative asset manager specializing in the leveraged finance marketplace, with approximately $10 billion under management. It manages a multi-strategy credit hedge fund, a mezzanine fund, a senior debt fund and various CLO vehicles.

Contact:
John Ford
The Blackstone Group
+1 212 583 5559
[email protected]

The Blackstone Group

The Blackstone Group is a leading global alternative asset manager and provider of financial advisory services. Its alternative asset management businesses include the management of corporate private equity funds, real estate opportunity funds, funds of hedge funds, mezzanine funds, senior debt funds, proprietary hedge funds and closed-end mutual funds. The Blackstone Group also provides various financial advisory services, including mergers and acquisitions advisory, restructuring and reorganization advisory and fund placement service. Further information is available at http://www.blackstone.com.

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