Wesley LePatner, a Blackstone executive and newly elected Metropolitan Museum of Art trustee, was killed in Monday’s shooting at 345 Park Avenue. The 43-year-old financier, known for her sharp intellect and philanthropic passion, was one of four victims fatally shot by Las Vegas resident Shane Devon Tamura before he turned the gun on himself.
LePatner had joined the Met’s board just five months earlier, a role that reflected her deep engagement with the arts. “She brought an extraordinary combination of brilliance and warmth,” said Met director Max Hollein, visibly shaken when reached by phone. “This wasn’t just another appointment for her—she asked probing questions, cared about access, and understood how institutions evolve. We expected her voice to shape the Met for generations.”
Her commitment extended beyond trusteeship. As a member of the Friends of European Painting group, she supported critical acquisitions and programming, part of a broader pattern of cultural patronage. Yet her influence wasn’t confined to museums. LePatner sat on boards for Jewish advocacy groups and Yale University’s library council, where she’d studied history before rising through Goldman Sachs and later Blackstone’s real estate division.
The attack unfolded with brutal randomness. Tamura, 34, allegedly targeted the National Football League’s offices in the same building, leaving a note suggesting he suffered from chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), the degenerative brain disease linked to repetitive head trauma. But his rampage cut across corporations: Blackstone’s offices were also struck, claiming LePatner and three colleagues.
In a statement, her family described “a radiant force—devoted to her children, her community, and the institutions she believed could change lives.” Colleagues echoed this, recalling her knack for bridging finance and culture. “She didn’t just write checks,” said one Met insider. “She showed up—for gallery talks, for contentious debates about deaccessioning. That’s irreplaceable.”
The Met has lowered its flags to half-mast—a quiet gesture for a woman who, in just months, left her mark.
Wesley LePatner was the Global Head of Core+ Real Estate and the Chief Executive Officer of Blackstone Real Estate Income Trust (BREIT). Ms. LePatner was also a member of Blackstone Real Estate’s Investment Committee. She previously served as the Chief Operating Officer of the Core+ business as well as BREIT.
Before joining Blackstone in 2014, Ms. LePatner spent over a decade at Goldman Sachs, most recently as a Managing Director in the Real Estate Investment Group within the Asset Management Division. She also worked in Goldman Sachs’ Real Estate Principal Investment Area and Real Estate Investment Banking Group, where she began her career.
Ms. LePatner received a BA in History from Yale University, summa cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa. She serves on the boards of The Metropolitan Museum of Art, The Abraham Joshua Heschel School, The UJA-Federation of New York, and Yale University Library Council and is a member of the Advisory Board of Governors of NAREIT.
Photo courtesy Blackstone