POWER OF ATTORNEY

        Know all by these presents, that the undersigned hereby constitutes and
appoints each of Stephen A. Schwarzman, Hamilton E. James, J. Tomilson Hill,
Laurence A. Tosi, Robert L. Friedman, Sylvia F. Moss, Christopher J. James and
Marsha Overby, signing singly, the undersigned's true and lawful
attorney-in-fact to:

        (1)     execute for and on behalf of the undersigned, in the
                undersigned's capacity as an officer and/or director of
                Blackstone Group Management L.L.C., a Delaware limited liability
                company (the "General Partner") and the general partner of The
                Blackstone Group L.P. (the "Partnership"), Forms 3, 4, and 5 in
                accordance with Section 16(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of
                1934 and the rules thereunder;

        (2)     do and perform any and all acts for and on behalf of the
                undersigned which may be necessary or desirable to complete and
                execute any such Form 3, 4, or 5, complete and execute any
                amendment or amendments thereto, and timely file such form with
                the United States Securities and Exchange Commission and any
                stock exchange or similar authority; and

        (3)     take any other action of any type whatsoever in connection with
                the foregoing which, in the opinion of such attorney-in-fact,
                may be of benefit to, in the best interest of, or legally
                required by, the undersigned, it being understood that the
                documents executed by such attorney-in-fact on behalf of the
                undersigned pursuant to this Power of Attorney shall be in such
                form and shall contain such terms and conditions as such
                attorney-in-fact may approve in such attorney-in-fact's
                discretion.

        The undersigned hereby grants to each such attorney-in-fact full power
and authority to do and perform any and every act and thing whatsoever
requisite, necessary, or proper to be done in the exercise of any of the rights
and powers herein granted, as fully to all intents and purposes as the
undersigned might or could do if personally present, with full power of
substitution or revocation, hereby ratifying and confirming all that such
attorney-in-fact, or such attorney-in-fact's substitute or substitutes, shall
lawfully do or cause to be done by virtue of this power of attorney and the
rights and powers herein granted. The undersigned acknowledges that the
foregoing attorneys-in-fact, in serving in such capacity at the request of the
undersigned, are not assuming, nor is the General Partner or the Partnership
assuming, any of the undersigned's responsibilities to comply with Section 16 of
the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 or the rules thereunder.

        This Power of Attorney shall remain in full force and effect until the
undersigned, after becoming subject to the requirements to file Forms 3, 4 and 5
with respect to the undersigned's holdings of and transactions in any equity
security or derivative security relating to the Partnership, whether or not
issued by the Partnership, ceases to be subject to those requirements, unless
earlier revoked by the undersigned in a signed writing delivered to the
foregoing attorneys-in-fact.

                  [Remainder of Page Intentionally Left Blank]

        IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the undersigned has caused this Power of Attorney to
be executed as of this 2nd day of April, 2009.

                                        /s/ Kathleen A Skero
                                        ----------------------------------------
                                  Name: Kathleen A. Skero