Blackstone President Tony James said he was not looking for a career outside of the private equity industry. He confirmed this with Bloomberg in a phone interview over the weekend. He said, "I am not leaving Blackstone. I will not leave Blackstone in years." He had been integral in helping turn Blackstone into the world's largest asset management firm.

Speculations had been rife that James could be leaving Blackstone after a third share sale conducted this year. A regulatory filing with the US Securities and Exchange Commission showed that James sold 3.25 million shares in Blackstone from October 23 to October 25. The shares were sold at a price tag of USD 26.71 to 27.85 apiece. The latest divestment brought to 8.25 million shares sold by James in three transactions this year.

According to the filing, the share sale was worth USD 88.6 million.  In February, James sold 3.5 million shares worth USD 64.2 million. He also sold 1.5 million shares valued at USD 34.2 million in July.