BYRON WIEN

WIEN--Byron. Byron Wien, prominent market strategist, passed away peacefully on October 25, 2023, at the age of 90. Byron was well-known for his annual publication, "The Ten Surprises," as well as his list of "Life's Lessons," which he developed during his lengthy career on Wall Street. Born in Chicago to Max and Anne (Lurie) Wien, he attended Nettlehorst Grammar School and Senn High School. Orphaned at the age of 15, he was raised by his mother's sister, working after school at Pabst Brewing during the last three years of high school. He received his bachelor's degree from Harvard College in 1954, where he majored in physics and chemistry, and received his MBA with distinction from Harvard Business School in 1956. He later served in the U.S. Army from 1957-1959. Byron began working for The Brass Rail in Chicago and fell in love with New York when he was transferred there in 1964. Reconnecting with business school classmates, he changed careers and joined the money management firm of Brokaw, Schaenen and Clancy, which merged into Weiss, Peck and Greer in 1973. In 1985, Barton Biggs recruited him to Morgan Stanley, where Byron served as Chief U.S. Investment Strategist for 21 years. There, he developed "The Ten Surprises," the "Smartest Man in Europe" series, and helped to originate the Benchmark Lunches that he eventually organized every summer in East Hampton for several decades. Byron co-authored a book with George Soros, Soros on Soros - Staying Ahead of the Curve. Among his numerous accolades, he was named one of the most influential people on Wall Street by New York Magazine in 2006, and he received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the New York Society of Security Analysts in 2008. Over the years, he served on the boards and investment committees of many not-for-profit organizations including The Harvard Volunteer Consulting Group, The Ackerman Institute, Phoenix House, the Manhattan Institute (where he served as Vice Chairman of the board), the Open Society Foundation, Lincoln Center, the Pritzker Foundation, the JPB Foundation and the New-York Historical Society. His philanthropy supported many organizations, including his alma mater Harvard University, Smith College and Memorial Sloan Kettering. He established three professorships at Harvard: The Byron and Anita Wien professor of Drama (English), the Max and Anne Wien Professor of Life Sciences and a professor of Management at Harvard Business School. In 2009, Byron joined Blackstone from Pequot Capital Management, where he had been the Chief Investment Strategist. As Vice Chairman of Blackstone's Private Wealth Solutions business, he has acted as senior advisor to both the Firm and its clients in analyzing economic, social, and political trends to help guide investment and strategic decisions. He continued working until shortly before his passing. Byron and Anita Volz Wien married in 1978. He wrote that she was his partner in everything he did, and brought infinite happiness, support, and wise counsel to his life for more than four decades. They built a house on Georgica Pond in Wainscott, NY that became a refuge during the pandemic and where they spent weekends year-round. He enjoyed tennis, sailing, swimming, driving his classic Morgan, and skiing in Aspen until his eighties. In 1995, he authored an essay titled, "Three Guys in Their Nineties" that inspired him to work forever, which he did. Byron is survived by his wife Anita, his beloved nephew Michael, niece Alison, and their families, as well as his godchildren. Memorial donations may be made to the New-York Historical Society or The Harvard Crimson.