peHUB First Read

Some links to kick off your Thursday…

* Blackstone Group: We don’t need bankers.

* JPMorgan: Yes you do.

* What was Northern Rock doing before it went belly-up? Buying rugby fields, of course.

* Latest MicroHoo rumor: Google might try buying up around 20% of Yahoo, to block the deal.

* FTC chairwoman Deborah Platt Majoras is leaving for a job at Procter & Gamble, according to The Deal.

* The New York Times goes in-depth on ADIA, the sovereign wealth fund of Abu Dhabi.

* Bill Gates quit Facebook, but joins LinkedIn.

* Are Japanese conglomerates gearing up for an M&A spending spree?.