Blackstone is one of the largest private equity firms in the world; it manages more than $619 billion in investments. The company is most famous for purchasing homes en masse during the financial crisis of 2008 and renting them out en masse. A United Nations working group on human rights called this the "financialization of housing" and said it has had "devastating consequences for people." "The financialization of housing is having a grave impact on the enjoyment of the right to adequate housing for millions of people across the world," the group wrote. Earlier this summer, the Wall Street Journal reported that Blackstone bought a company called Home Partners of America, which owns 17,000 homes throughout the United States. Blackstone paid $6 billion for that company. Blackstone is now, perhaps bizarrely, adding a card grading company to its portfolio. On the CGC forums, some collectors were very upset about the acquisition, with some people specifically calling out Blackstone's real estate investing.