Thus, Peterson (MIT dropout) went on to take Bachelor’s degree from Northwestern University and M.B.A. degree from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business. He held a great variety of positions before he decided to co-found Blackstone with fellow billionaire Stephen Schwarzman in 1985. Later on, he spent some time serving as chairman of Lehman Brothers (1973 -1984), Commerce Secretary under President Nixon (1972 –1973), as well as the head of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York (2000-2004). Peter Peterson has also penned a number of books, including an autobiography. As of August 4, 2010, he has agreed to give at least half of his wealth to charity by signing “The Giving Pledge.” Currently married to Sesame Street creator – Joan Ganz Cooney, he has managed to found marital bliss after two unsuccessful marriages.
