The Story of Babar

How a children’s book helped Stephen Schwarzman, the chairman, and CEO of the Blackstone Group, get his first job.

In his recent interview for The Knowledge Project podcast, Stephen Schwarzman shared a story about getting his first job. A wonderful story that shows how to think on your feet and be memorable.

I got my first job pretty much by accident. It was at a firm called Donaldson, Lufkin & Jenrette, which was sold years later to Credit Suisse. I had met somebody working at a reunion who was like a grownup, he was 37. And one of his classmates was one of the three founders of DLJ, and I didn’t have a job after I graduated.

I didn’t even know who this man was, but I’d given him and his children a book my father used to read to me called Babar the Elephant.

And I don’t know why I did that, they just looked like a model family at a reunion. It was like a husband and wife and two kids; a nuclear family. And I looked at that and I said, “Geez, that’s like an idealised portrait of some type.” I just went out, and I didn’t have much money, and I bought them Babar and gave them the book. I think they were just so stunned that a complete stranger who was 21-years-old did that.

They thanked me for the book, and he said, “What are you doing after you graduate?” I said, “I have no idea.” He said, “Well, you graduated already.” I said, “That’s right.” I was another desperate graduate, so he sort of took me under his wing and introduced me to one two people, one of whom was Bill Donaldson at Donaldson, Lufkin & Jenrette.”

Listen to this podcast and read Stephen Schwarzman’s book “What It Takes: Lessons in the Pursuit of Excellence” to find out more of his thoughts on business, life, and attracting talent.