Ownership Submission
FORM 5
Check this box if no longer subject to Section 16. Form 4 or Form 5 obligations may continue. See Instruction 1(b).
Form 3 Holdings Reported
Form 4 Transactions Reported
UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549

ANNUAL STATEMENT OF CHANGES IN BENEFICIAL OWNERSHIP OF SECURITIES

Filed pursuant to Section 16(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, Section 17(a) of the Public Utility Holding Company Act of 1935 or Section 30(h) of the Investment Company Act of 1940
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1. Name and Address of Reporting Person *
PETERSON PETER G
 2. Issuer Name and Ticker or Trading Symbol
Blackstone Group L.P. [BX] 		5. Relationship of Reporting Person(s) to Issuer
(Check all applicable)
_____ Director _____ 10% Owner
_____ Officer (give title below) __X__ Other (specify below)
Former Senior Chairman
(Last)
(First)
(Middle)

C/O THE BLACKSTONE GROUP L.P., 345 PARK AVENUE		 3. Statement for Issuer's Fiscal Year Ended (Month/Day/Year)
12/31/2008
(Street)


NEW YORK, NY 10154		 4. If Amendment, Date Original Filed(Month/Day/Year)
 6. Individual or Joint/Group Reporting
(check applicable line)

_X_ Form Filed by One Reporting Person
___ Form Filed by More than One Reporting Person
(City)
(State)
(Zip)
Table I - Non-Derivative Securities Acquired, Disposed of, or Beneficially Owned
1.Title of Security
(Instr. 3)		 2. Transaction Date (Month/Day/Year) 2A. Deemed Execution Date, if any (Month/Day/Year) 3. Transaction Code
(Instr. 8)		 4. Securities Acquired (A) or Disposed of (D)
(Instr. 3, 4 and 5)		 5. Amount of Securities Beneficially Owned at end of Issuer's Fiscal Year
(Instr. 3 and 4)		 6. Ownership Form: Direct (D) or Indirect (I)
(Instr. 4)		 7. Nature of Indirect Beneficial Ownership
(Instr. 4)
Amount (A) or (D) Price

Reminder: Report on a separate line for each class of securities beneficially owned directly or indirectly. Persons who respond to the collection of information contained in this form are not required to respond unless the form displays a currently valid OMB control number. SEC 2270 (9-02)

Table II - Derivative Securities Acquired, Disposed of, or Beneficially Owned
(e.g., puts, calls, warrants, options, convertible securities)
1. Title of Derivative Security
(Instr. 3)		 2. Conversion or Exercise Price of Derivative Security 3. Transaction Date (Month/Day/Year) 3A. Deemed Execution Date, if any (Month/Day/Year) 4. Transaction Code
(Instr. 8)		 5. Number of Derivative Securities Acquired (A) or Disposed of (D)
(Instr. 3, 4, and 5)		 6. Date Exercisable and Expiration Date
(Month/Day/Year)		 7. Title and Amount of Underlying Securities
(Instr. 3 and 4)		 8. Price of Derivative Security
(Instr. 5)		 9. Number of Derivative Securities Beneficially Owned at End of Issuer's Fiscal Year
(Instr. 4)		 10. Ownership Form of Derivative Security: Direct (D) or Indirect (I)
(Instr. 4)		 11. Nature of Indirect Beneficial Ownership
(Instr. 4)
(A) (D) Date Exercisable Expiration Date Title Amount or Number of Shares
Blackstone Holdings Partnership units   08/12/2008   G   100,000   (1)(2)   (1)(2) Common units representing limited partnership units
100,000
$ 0 40,212,495
D
 
Blackstone Holdings Partnership units               (1)(2)   (1)(2) Common units representing limited partnership units
5,006,717
  5,006,717
I
See Footnotes (3) (4)

Reporting Owners

Reporting Owner Name / Address Relationships
Director 10% Owner Officer Other
PETERSON PETER G
C/O THE BLACKSTONE GROUP L.P.
345 PARK AVENUE
NEW YORK, NY 10154		       Former Senior Chairman

Signatures

/s/ Robert L. Friedman as Attorney-In-Fact 02/24/2009
**Signature of Reporting Person Date

Explanation of Responses:

* If the form is filed by more than one reporting person, see Instruction 4(b)(v).
** Intentional misstatements or omissions of facts constitute Federal Criminal Violations. See 18 U.S.C. 1001 and 15 U.S.C. 78ff(a).
(1) Pursuant to an exchange agreement, holders of Blackstone Holdings partnership units (which term refers collectively to a partnership unit in each of Blackstone Holdings I L.P., Blackstone Holdings II L.P., Blackstone Holdings III L.P. and Blackstone Holdings IV L.P.), subject to the vesting and minimum retained ownership requirements and transfer restrictions set forth in the partnership agreements of the Blackstone Holdings partnerships, may up to four times each year (subject to the terms of the exchange agreement) exchange their Blackstone Holdings partnership units for The Blackstone Group L.P. common units on a one-for-one basis, subject to customary conversion rate adjustments for splits, unit distributions and reclassifications. ( Continued in footnote 2 )
(2) A Blackstone Holdings limited partner must exchange one partnership unit in each of the four Blackstone Holdings partnerships to effect an exchange for a common unit. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the reported Blackstone Holdings partnership units may not be exchanged at any time prior to December 31, 2009 other than pursuant to transactions or programs approved by Blackstone.
(3) Such Blackstone Holdings partnership units are held in five trusts, for which the beneficiaries are various descendants of the Reporting Person, and for which either the Reporting Person or the spouse of the Reporting Person is the investment trustee.
(4) Pursuant to Rule 16a-1(a)(4) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, the Reporting Person herein states that this filing shall not be deemed an admission that he or it is the beneficial owner of any of such interests, and disclaims beneficial ownership of such interests, except to the extent of his pecuniary interest in such interests.

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