FACTBOX: The Blackstone Group-key facts

(Reuters) - The Blackstone Group priced its initial public offering on Thursday, raising more than $4 billion, in the biggest U.S. IPO in five years. Blackstone is the first major U.S. private equity firm to take itself public.

HISTORY, BACKGROUND:

--Founded by Peter Peterson and Stephen Schwarzman in 1985. Started with $400,000, after the two left brokerage Lehman Brothers.

--Office: 345 Park Avenue, New York, New York

--770 Employees, includes 60 senior managing directors, and 340 other investment and advisory professionals. Offices in Mumbai, Hong Kong, London, Paris, Boston, Atlanta, Madrid, Los Angeles.

PORTFOLIO: Freescale Semiconductor, TeleDanmark, The Nielsen Company, SunGard, Michaels Stores, Travelport, Pinnacle Foods, Deutsche Telekom, Equity Office Properties Trust

PAYOUTS:

Schwarzman, 60, will own 23 percent of Blackstone after the IPO. Schwarzman's stake is worth $7.74 billion based on the IPO price -- a little more than Rupert Murdoch's stake in media conglomerate News Corp. He stands to make $677.2 million after the IPO. (To see a related Factbox on compensation data please click on ID:nN11158529).

Peterson, 81, will get $1.88 billion when the firm goes public. He is keeping a 4 percent stake.

Blackstone President Hamilton James will get $147.9 million after the IPO.

Vice Chairman J. Tomlinson Hill will get $22.1 million after the IPO.

CFO Michael Puglisi will get $13.4 million after the IPO.

FUNDS:

($ billions)

Corporate private equity funds 33.08

Real estate opportunity funds 19.95