Blackstone has continued its annual Christmas video tradition with an 80s-themed production marking the firm’s 40th anniversary.
The video celebrates the private markets giant reaching the milestone with a humorous narrative packed with cultural references from both today and the 1980s. It centres on the firm grappling with the idea of turning 40 and descending on a “midlife crisis” before ultimately embracing its age and heritage by leaning fully into 80s style and nostalgia.
The film opens with a mock documentary, The Story of Blackstone, described as “part one of 40”, which traces the firm’s origins back to 200 BCE. The scene then cuts to reveal the documentary being screened during an internal meeting held to mark the anniversary, where it is quickly criticised for lacking “pizzazz, gusto and heart”.
Calls to fire the creator follow, before it is revealed Ken Burns, the acclaimed documentary director known for his narrative approach to historical storytelling, is the one being fired.
From there, the video leans into the idea of the firm experiencing a midlife crisis, parodying attempts to appear younger and more relevant.
Scenes include executives wearing nose rings, debating the merits of buying a Ferrari, playing padel and experimenting with tattoos, skateboarding and TikTok dances filmed in front of a ring light. Chairman and chief executive Steve Schwarzman is also shown contemplating a potential career as a DJ, with a brief cameo from Goldman Sachs CEO David Solomon — or DJ Sol, when he on the decks — who has already checked that box.
In the video, the firm also enlists actor Danny DeVito because he’s the “coolest spokesperson”, only to end up with the same style of corporate advert often seen across the sector.
The video further mocks familiar tropes within financial services marketing, including inspirational LinkedIn-style messaging and jargon-heavy advertising.
The pursuit of modern “cool” is eventually abandoned in favour of fully embracing Blackstone’s roots. The video concludes with a series of ’80s throwbacks, including a boombox outside a window, an ’80s-inspired workout video and references to E.T., Dead Poets Society, Back to the Future, Ghostbusters, Top Gun, Dirty Dancing as well as musicians including Prince, Bruce Springsteen and Rick Astley.
The film ends with a dramatic musical finale in the style of an ’80s power ballad titled “1985 till forever.”
What began as short festive skits by the $1.2 trillion asset manager has evolved into a cinematic production, using humour and self-awareness to reflect on Blackstone’s history and mark four decades in business.
The full video can be found here: Blackstone’s 2025 Holiday Video: Forever Blackstone and you can compare it with last year’s here.