................................ . OMB APPROVAL . ................................ .OMB Number: 3235-0006 . .Expires: December 31, 2009 . .Estimated average . . burden hours per . . response:..............22.6 . ................................ UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549 FORM 13F FORM 13F COVER PAGE Report for the Calendar Year or Quarter Ended: December 31, 2008 ----------------------- Check Here if Amendment / /; Amendment Number: --------- This Amendment (Check only one.): / / is a restatement. / / adds new holdings entries. Institutional Investment Manager Filing this Report: Name: The Blackstone Group L.P. ------------------------------- Address: 345 Park Avenue ------------------------------- New York, NY 10154 ------------------------------- Form 13F File Number: 28-13114 --------------------- The institutional investment manager filing this report and the person by whom it is signed hereby represent that the person signing the report is authorized to submit it, that all information contained herein is true, correct and complete, and that it is understood that all required items, statements, schedules, lists, and tables, are considered integral parts of this form. Person Signing this Report on Behalf of Reporting Manager: Name: Robert L. Friedman ------------------------------- Title: Authorized Person ------------------------------- Phone: (212) 583-5000 ------------------------------- Signature, Place, and Date of Signing: /s/ Robert L. Friedman New York, NY February 17, 2009 ------------------------------- ----------------- ------------------- [Signature] [City, State] [Date] Report Type (Check only one.): /X/ 13F HOLDINGS REPORT. (Check here if all holdings of this reporting manager are reported in this report.) / / 13F NOTICE. (Check here if no holdings reported are in this report, and all holdings are reported by other reporting manager(s).) / / 13F COMBINATION REPORT. (Check here if a portion of the holdings for this reporting manager are reported in this report and a portion are reported by other reporting manager(s).) FORM 13F SUMMARY PAGE Report Summary: Number of Other Included Managers: 3 -------------------- Form 13F Information Table Entry Total: 28 -------------------- Form 13F Information Table Value Total: $1,098,871 -------------------- (thousands) List of Other Included Managers: Provide a numbered list of the name(s) and Form 13F file number(s) of all institutional investment managers with respect to which this report is filed, other than the manager filing this report. No. Form 13F File Number Name 1 28-13113 Blackstone Capital Partners V L.P. ------ ----------------- ---------------------------------- 2 28-12319 Blackstone Kailix Advisors L.L.C. ------ ----------------- ---------------------------------- 3 28-12332 GSO Capital Partners LP ------ ----------------- ---------------------------------- Explanatory Notes: (1) The Blackstone Group L.P. is managed and operated by its general partner, Blackstone Group Management L.L.C., which is in turn wholly-owned by Blackstone's senior managing directors and controlled by Mr. Stephen A. Schwarzman, one of its founders. (2) Blackstone Kailix Advisors L.L.C. had no reportable positions in Section 13(f) securities as of December 31, 2008. FORM 13F INFORMATION TABLE THE BLACKSTONE GROUP L.P. FOR QUARTER ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2008 VOTING AUTHORITY VALUE (X SHRS OR PRN SH/ INVESTMENT OTHER ---------------------- NAME OF ISSUER TITLE OF CLASS CUSIP $1000) AMT PRN PUT/CALL DISCRETION MANAGERS SOLE SHARED NONE ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ALLIANCE DATA SYSTEMS CORP COM 018581108 $ 133,439 2,867,800 SH SOLE 1 2,867,800 BARCLAYS BK PLC IPMS INDIA ETN 06739F291 $ 895 28,300 SH SOLE 28,300 BRE PROPERTIES INC NOTE 4.125% 8/1 05564EBH8 $ 7,425 10,000,000 PRN SOLE 10,000,000 CALPINE CORP COM NEW 131347304 $ 12,790 1,756,917 SH SOLE 1,756,917 CALPINE CORP COM NEW 131347304 $ 3,130 429,902 SH SOLE 3 429,902 CENTENNIAL COMMUNCTNS CORP N CL A NEW 15133V208 $ 12,916 1,602,432 SH SOLE (a) 1,602,432 CHINA MOBILE LIMITED SPONSORED ADR 16941M109 $ 231 4,550 SH SOLE 4,550 CHINA PETE & CHEM CORP SPON ADR H SHS 16941R108 $ 332 5,379 SH SOLE 5,379 COGNIZANT TECHNOLOGY SOLUTIO CL A 192446102 $ 3,101 171,700 SH SOLE 171,700 EAGLE ROCK ENERGY PARTNERS L UNIT 26985R104 $ 4,466 948,141 SH SOLE 3 948,141 FBR CAPITAL MARKETS CORP COM 30247C301 $ 346 71,265 SH SOLE 3 71,265 FOCUS MEDIA HLDG LTD SPONSORED ADR 34415V109 $ 105 11,500 SH SOLE 11,500 FREEPORT-MCMORAN COPPER & GO COM 35671D857 $ 194 7,950 SH SOLE 7,950 HUNTSMAN CORP COM 447011107 $ 946 275,000 SH CALL SOLE 275,000 HUNTSMAN CORP COM 447011107 $ 1,194 347,200 SH SOLE 3 347,200 HUNTSMAN CORP COM 447011107 $ 1,548 450,000 SH CALL SOLE 3 450,000 VOTING AUTHORITY VALUE (X SHRS OR PRN SH/ INVESTMENT OTHER ---------------------- NAME OF ISSUER TITLE OF CLASS CUSIP $1000) AMT PRN PUT/CALL DISCRETION MANAGERS SOLE SHARED NONE ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ISHARES INC MSCI HONG KONG 464286871 $ 30 2,900 SH SOLE 2,900 ISHARES TR FTSE XNHUA IDX 464287184 $ 32 1,100 SH SOLE 1,100 ISHARES TR RUSSELL 2000 464287655 $ 24,620 500,000 SH PUT SOLE 3 500,000 LODGIAN INC COM PAR $.01 54021P403 $ 2,826 1,326,909 SH SOLE 1,326,909 NETEASE COM INC SPONSORED ADR 64110W102 $ 1,318 59,650 SH SOLE 59,650 NEW ORIENTAL ED & TECH GRP I SPON ADR 647581107 $ 375 6,829 SH SOLE 6,829 ORBITZ WORLDWIDE INC COM 68557K109 $ 178,563 46,021,327 SH SOLE 1(b) 46,021,327 REPUBLIC SVCS INC(c) COM 760759100 $ 534,863 21,575,772 SH SOLE (d) 21,575,772 SANDRIDGE ENERGY INC COM 80007P307 $ 6,833 1,111,111 SH SOLE 3 1,111,111 TAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR MFG LTD SPONSORED ADR 874039100 $ 144 18,250 SH SOLE 18,250 TIME WARNER CABLE INC CL A 88732J108 $ 392 18,258 SH SOLE 18,258 TRW AUTOMOTIVE HLDGS CORP COM 87264S106 $ 165,817 46,060,285 SH SOLE 46,060,285 (a) The Centennial Communications Corp. shares reported herein are not under the investment discretion of The Blackstone Group L.P. but are under the investment discretion of Mr. Stephen A. Schwarzman. (b) The Orbitz Worldwide, Inc. shares reported herein are not under the investment discretion of The Blackstone Group L.P. but are under the investment discretion of Blackstone LR Associates (Cayman) V Ltd., of which Mr. Stephen A. Schwarzman is a controlling person. (c) In connection with the merger between Allied Waste Industries, Inc. ("Allied Waste") and Republic Services, Inc. ("Republic"), which was consummated on December 5, 2008, each share of Allied Waste was exchanged for 0.45 shares of Republic. The shares of Republic reported herein consist of approximately 21,558,090 shares expected to be issued in exchange for 47,906,868 shares of Allied Waste previously held by Blackstone entities and 17,682 shares expected to be issued in exchange for 39,295 Allied Waste shares that were previously held by Blackstone employees who served as directors of Allied Waste. (d) The Republic shares reported herein are not under the investment discretion of The Blackstone Group L.P. but are under the investment discretion of Mr. Stephen A. Schwarzman.