Early Life and Education
Hamilton Evans James was born on February 3, 1951, in Wyandotte, Michigan. He grew up in Lincoln, Massachusetts. He attended the Choate School (now Choate Rosemary Hall) and then Harvard College, where he graduated magna cum laude in 1973. He earned an MBA from Harvard Business School in 1975.
Rise to Success
James began his career at Donaldson, Lufkin & Jenrette (DLJ) in 1975, and became head of the global mergers and acquisitions group in 1982. In 1985, he founded DLJ Merchant Banking, Inc. He was appointed chairman of DLJ's banking group in 1995. In 2002, James joined The Blackstone Group as president and chief operating officer. During his tenure, Blackstone grew to an investment giant. James was appointed chairman of Costco Wholesale Corporation in August 2017. He retired as executive vice chairman of Blackstone in January 2022.
Key Business Strategies
James's career has been marked by strategic leadership and significant contributions to financial institutions. At Blackstone, he oversaw the firm's expansion into the world's largest alternative asset manager. His key moves included organizing the initial public offering that took the company public and managing the acquisition of GSO (credit business) and Strategic Partners (secondaries arm). He also helped establish Blackstone's Tactical Opportunities section.
Philanthropy
James is actively involved in philanthropy and cultural institutions. He is co-chair of the board of trustees of the Metropolitan Museum of Art since 2021. He is also involved with the Wildlife Conservation Society, Second Stage Theatre, and Trout Unlimited. James has also served on the board of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey.