At Blackstone, we invest on behalf of institutional investors around the world, including retirement systems which represent half of all the pensioners in the United States and 37 million pensioners globally. Through our investments we preserve and protect $218 billion in assets in a diverse range of funds. As careful stewards of capital, we strive to provide solutions that create lasting value for our investors, the companies in which we invest and society at large. It is well known that stronger, better-run companies generate jobs and strengthen economies. We have helped to make scores of companies stronger and more competitive, and in doing so, bolstered the communities in which their employees live and work. Today, as at Blackstone’s inception, our commitment to operate with the utmost integrity and publicly minded spirit is a central element of the firm’s culture and is reflected in the work that we do. By making companies stronger and better positioned for long-term growth, we can help create good jobs, support local communities and, ultimately, secure the future of millions of people around the world.