Some Life Lessons From Byron Wien

We wanted to share a recent letter that Blackstone sent out in memory of the “Wall Street Seer” and very much beloved Byron Wien. He had so many life lessons to share with us all and it’s by sharing stories and life lessons like these that our legacies continue on forever.

You can read Byron’s life lesson’s and the excerpt from Blackstone below.

Byron’s Life Lessons

“It is with great sadness that I share with you the news that Byron Wien passed away last night.

Byron lived a remarkable life spanning more than 90 years. Born in Chicago and orphaned as a youngster, he made his way to Harvard, where he graduated with honors, and then to Harvard Business School, where he graduated with distinction. After a couple of career stops, he landed at Morgan Stanley for 21 years, where he made his mark as a world-renowned investment strategist and where he first launched his annual list of “10 Surprises” at the start of each year—for 38 consecutive years.

Byron maintained that his most popular essay focused not on markets or economies but his life lessons. Below, we are sharing an excerpt from a longer interview we conducted last fall in Byron’s home in Long Island that touches on several of these lessons.

We are enormously grateful that Byron spent the last 14 years of his career at Blackstone, sharing his market and macroeconomic observations, and playing a critical role interfacing with clients, as we grew our Private Wealth Solutions business. Everywhere he traveled, people filled the room to hear his insights—something he managed to do even as events and meetings went virtual. While those who worked by his side felt his influence deeply, his impact extended well beyond.

The last of his Life Lessons, as many of you probably know, and one Byron always delivered with the utmost sincerity and good humor, was: “Never retire. If you work forever, you can live forever.” He worked until his last days and, given his 90+ years, there was certainly something to this wisdom.

I am personally so grateful to have worked with Byron for so many years. He stretched my thinking about what was going on in the wider world and inspired me to live a life of endless learning, deep friendships and great generosity, which is how he lived his life.

Our deepest sympathies go out to his wife Anita and to his extended family and dear friends.

May his great legacy continue to shine its bright light on us all.”