Jonathan D. Gray

In February 2018, it was announced that Gray would become president and chief operating officer of Blackstone, replacing Hamilton "Tony" James.

In November 2016, it was reported that Gray was under consideration as Treasury Secretary for the incoming presidential administration of Donald Trump.

In November 2016, The New York Times reported on a $10 million donation from the Grays to finance a pilot program that creates college savings accounts for thousands of New York City public school kindergartners. In May 2017, the Grays announced they would be donating $21 million to the Basser Center for BRCA at the University of Pennsylvania, bringing their total pledges to the initiative to $55 million.

In 2016, Gray was named to Vanity Fair's "New Establishment" list.

The Gray Foundation was launched in 2014 with two distinct missions: Accelerating research, improving treatment and raising awareness for individuals who have inherited BRCA mutations; and maximizing access to education, healthcare and opportunity for low-income youth in New York City.

As global head of real estate, Gray oversees a diverse portfolio including hotel, office, retail, industrial, and residential properties in the U.S., Europe, and Asia. Major holdings include Hilton Worldwide, Equity Office Properties, Invitation Homes, Logicor, and the leading owner of office space in India. Gray currently serves as Chairman of the Board of Hilton Worldwide, which went public in December 2013. Blackstone's investment in Hilton was profiled in a September 2014 Bloomberg Businessweek cover story. Gray was named in Fortune's "40 under 40," in 2009. In 2016, he ranked #1 on Commercial Observer's "Power 100" ranking of the most powerful people in New York City real estate.

In May 2012, Gray and his wife, Mindy Gray, founded the Basser Research Center, named in honor of Mindy's sister, Faith Basser, who died of ovarian cancer at age 44. The Grays donated $25 million to create the Basser Research Center, which focuses on cancer prevention, treatment, and research of BRCA-related, genetically-inherited cancers. This donation also established the Basser Global Prize, honoring cutting-edge cancer research. In January 2014, the Basser Research Center announced an additional $5 million gift from the couple to fund an external research grant program. Town & Country (magazine) noted this work in its "Top Philanthropists of 2016" feature, in which the Grays were included.

In 2008, Gray led the firm's efforts in establishing Blackstone Real Estate Debt Strategies (BREDS), provider of high yield debt capital. In 2013, BREDS launched Blackstone Mortgage Trust (BXMT) to provide first mortgage debt capital to real estate borrowers.

In 1995, Gray married Mindy Basser at Temple Beth Zion Israel in Philadelphia; the ceremony was officiated by Rabbi Ira F. Stone. He lives in Manhattan with his wife and their four daughters, Margo, Emma, Stella, and Tess. In August 2013, Bloomberg estimated his net worth at just over $1.0 billion due to his owning 40.6 million Blackstone shares valued at $913 million combined with over $120 million in bonuses and salary.

Born in Highland Park, Illinois. His father Allen Gray was an investment adviser and owned a small auto parts manufacturer on the West Side of Chicago (coincidentally named Blackstone Manufacturing); his mother Susan, remarried to his stepfather James Florsheim, ran a catering business. His parents divorced when he was young. In 1992, Gray graduated from the University of Pennsylvania (Penn) magna cum laude with a B.A. in English from the School of Arts & Sciences and a B.S. from the Wharton School. He was elected Phi Beta Kappa.

In 1992, Gray joined Blackstone's mergers and acquisitions and private equity group, and was offered a position in the company's newly formed real estate private equity group shortly thereafter. He was made co-head of the real estate group in 2005 and named global head of real estate in 2011.

Jonathan D. Gray (born February 4, 1970) is an American billionaire and the president and chief operating officer of Blackstone Group, a New York-based asset management firm. He also serves as chairman of Hilton Worldwide.