Kenneth C. Griffin
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Kenneth Cordele Griffin (born October 15, 1968) is an American
hedge fund A hedge fund is a Pooling (resource management), pooled investment fund that holds Market liquidity, liquid assets and that makes use of complex trader (finance), trading and risk management techniques to aim to improve investment performance and ...
manager, entrepreneur and investor. He is the founder,
chief executive officer A chief executive officer (CEO), also known as a chief executive or managing director, is the top-ranking corporate officer charged with the management of an organization, usually a company or a nonprofit organization. CEOs find roles in variou ...
, co- chief investment officer, and 80% owner of
Citadel LLC Citadel LLC (formerly known as Citadel Investment Group, LLC) is an American multinational hedge fund and financial services company. Founded in 1990 by Kenneth Griffin, it has more than $65 billion in assets under management . The company has ...
, a multinational
hedge fund A hedge fund is a Pooling (resource management), pooled investment fund that holds Market liquidity, liquid assets and that makes use of complex trader (finance), trading and risk management techniques to aim to improve investment performance and ...
. He also owns Citadel Securities, one of the largest
market makers A market maker or liquidity provider is a company or an individual that quotes both a buy and a sell price in a tradable asset held in inventory, hoping to make a profit on the difference, which is called the '' bid–ask spread'' or ''turn.'' Th ...
in the United States. As of March 2025, Griffin had an estimated net worth of $42.2 billion, making him the world's 34th-richest person. He was ranked 22nd on the 2024 ''Forbes'' 400 list of richest Americans. He was included in ''Forbes'''s 2023 list of the United States' Most Generous Givers, according to which he has donated $1.56 billion to various charitable causes, primarily in education, economic mobility, and medical research. Griffin has contributed hundreds of millions of dollars to political candidates and causes, usually Republican or conservative in ideology.


Early life and education

Griffin was born in 1968 in
Daytona Beach, Florida Daytona Beach is a coastal Resort town, resort city in Volusia County, Florida, United States. Located on the East Coast of the United States, its population was 72,647 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. It is part of the Deltona†...
, the son of a building supplies executive. His father had various jobs, and was a
project manager A project manager is a professional in the field of project management. Project managers have the responsibility of the Project planning, planning, procurement and execution of a project, in any undertaking that has a defined scope, defined star ...
for
General Electric General Electric Company (GE) was an American Multinational corporation, multinational Conglomerate (company), conglomerate founded in 1892, incorporated in the New York (state), state of New York and headquartered in Boston. Over the year ...
. Griffin's grandmother, Genevieve Huebsch Gratz, inherited an oil business, three farms, and a seed business. Griffin grew up in
Boca Raton, Florida Boca Raton ( ; ) is a city in Palm Beach County, Florida, United States. The population was 97,422 in the 2020 United States census, 2020 census and it ranked as the 23rd-largest city in Florida in 2022. Many people with a Boca Raton Address, ...
, with some time in Texas, and Wisconsin. He went to middle school in Boca Raton and Boca Raton Community High School, where he was the president of the math club. In high school, Griffin ran a discount mail-order education software firm, EDCOM, out of his bedroom. In a 1986 article in the ''
Sun-Sentinel The ''Sun Sentinel'' (also known as the ''South Florida Sun Sentinel'', known until 2008 as the ''Sun-Sentinel'', and stylized on its masthead as ''SunSentinel'') is the main daily newspaper of Fort Lauderdale, Florida, and Broward County, an ...
'', he said he thought he would become a businessman or lawyer and that he believed the job market for
computer programmer A programmer, computer programmer or coder is an author of computer source code someone with skill in computer programming. The professional titles ''software developer'' and ''software engineer'' are used for jobs that require a progr ...
s would significantly decrease over the coming decade. Griffin started at
Harvard College Harvard College is the undergraduate education, undergraduate college of Harvard University, a Private university, private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States. Part of the Harvard Faculty of Arts and Scienc ...
in the fall of 1986. That year, one of his first investments was to buy
put option In finance, a put or put option is a derivative instrument in financial markets that gives the holder (i.e. the purchaser of the put option) the right to sell an asset (the ''underlying''), at a specified price (the ''strike''), by (or on) a ...
s on
Home Shopping Network HSN, Inc. an initialism of its former name Home Shopping Network, is an American free-to-air television network owned by the QVC Group (formerly Qurate Retail Group), which also owns Catalog merchant, catalog company Cornerstone Brands. It is ...
, making a $5,000 profit. He also invested in
convertible arbitrage Convertible arbitrage is a market-neutral investment strategy often employed by hedge funds. It involves the simultaneous purchase of convertible securities and the short sale of the same issuer's common stock. The premise of the strategy is ...
opportunities in
convertible bond In finance, a convertible bond, convertible note, or convertible debt (or a convertible debenture if it has a maturity of greater than 10 years) is a type of bond that the holder can convert into a specified number of shares of common stock in ...
s. Despite a ban on running businesses from campus, Griffin convinced school administrators to allow him to install a
satellite dish A satellite dish is a dish-shaped type of parabolic antenna designed to receive or transmit information by radio waves to or from a communication satellite. The term most commonly means a dish which receives direct-broadcast satellite televisio ...
on the roof of Cabot House, a
dormitory A dormitory (originated from the Latin word ''dormitorium'', often abbreviated to dorm), also known as a hall of residence, a residence hall (often abbreviated to halls), or a hostel, is a building primarily providing sleeping and residential qu ...
, to receive stock quotes. He also asked Terrence J. O'Connor, the manager of
convertible bond In finance, a convertible bond, convertible note, or convertible debt (or a convertible debenture if it has a maturity of greater than 10 years) is a type of bond that the holder can convert into a specified number of shares of common stock in ...
s at Merrill Lynch in Boston, to open a brokerage account for him with $100,000 that Griffin had gotten from his grandmother, his dentist, and others. His first fund launched in 1987 with $265,000, days after his 19th birthday. The fund launched in time to profit from short positions on Black Monday. Griffin graduated in 1989 and received a
Bachelor of Arts A Bachelor of Arts (abbreviated B.A., BA, A.B. or AB; from the Latin ', ', or ') is the holder of a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate program in the liberal arts, or, in some cases, other disciplines. A Bachelor of Arts deg ...
degree with a major in
economics Economics () is a behavioral science that studies the Production (economics), production, distribution (economics), distribution, and Consumption (economics), consumption of goods and services. Economics focuses on the behaviour and interac ...
.


Career

After graduating in 1989, Griffin moved to
Chicago Chicago is the List of municipalities in Illinois, most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States. With a population of 2,746,388, as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of Unite ...
to work with Frank Meyer, founder of Glenwood Capital Investments. Meyer allotted $1 million of Glenwood capital for Griffin to trade and Griffin made 70% in a year. In 1990, Griffin founded
Citadel LLC Citadel LLC (formerly known as Citadel Investment Group, LLC) is an American multinational hedge fund and financial services company. Founded in 1990 by Kenneth Griffin, it has more than $65 billion in assets under management . The company has ...
, with
assets under management In finance, assets under management (AUM), sometimes called fund under management, refers to the total market value of all financial assets that a financial institution—such as a mutual fund, venture capital firm, or depository institutio ...
of $4.6 million, aided by contributions from Meyer. His funds made 43% in 1991 and 40% in 1992. In the early 2000s, Griffin founded market maker Citadel Securities. In 2003, aged 34, Griffin was the youngest person on the ''Forbes'' 400, with an estimated net worth of $650 million. From the time of his second marriage to Anne Dias in 2003 until late 2009, Griffin was the lead investor in Aragon Global Management, a
hedge fund A hedge fund is a Pooling (resource management), pooled investment fund that holds Market liquidity, liquid assets and that makes use of complex trader (finance), trading and risk management techniques to aim to improve investment performance and ...
run by his then wife. The fund was also seeded with money from
Julian Robertson Julian Hart Robertson Jr. (June 25, 1932 – August 23, 2022) was an American hedge fund manager, and philanthropist. Robertson founded Tiger Management, one of the first hedge funds, in 1980. From its inception in 1980 to its 1998 asset pe ...
. Griffin lost 20% of his investment in the fund. In 2006, Citadel acquired the positions of Amaranth Advisors at a steep discount. During the
2008 financial crisis The 2008 financial crisis, also known as the global financial crisis (GFC), was a major worldwide financial crisis centered in the United States. The causes of the 2008 crisis included excessive speculation on housing values by both homeowners ...
, for 10 months, Griffin barred his investors from withdrawing money, attracting criticism. At the crisis's peak, the firm was losing "hundreds of millions of dollars each week". It was leveraged 7:1 and the biggest funds at Citadel finished 2008 down 55%, but rebounded with a 62% return in 2009. From
Citadel LLC Citadel LLC (formerly known as Citadel Investment Group, LLC) is an American multinational hedge fund and financial services company. Founded in 1990 by Kenneth Griffin, it has more than $65 billion in assets under management . The company has ...
, Griffin earned $900 million in 2009, $1.4 billion in 2014, $600 million in 2016, $1.4 billion in 2017, $870 million in 2018, $1.5 billion in 2019, and $1.8 billion in 2020. In November 2020, according to
Bloomberg News Bloomberg News (originally Bloomberg Business News) is an international news agency headquartered in New York City and a division of Bloomberg L.P. Content produced by Bloomberg News is disseminated through Bloomberg Terminals, Bloomberg T ...
, Griffin's net worth surpassed $20 billion due to an increase in the value of Citadel, of which Griffin's stake was worth $11.2 billion. Citadel Securities, a
market maker A market maker or liquidity provider is a company or an individual that quotes both a buy and a sell price in a tradable asset held in inventory, hoping to make a profit on the difference, which is called the ''bid–ask spread'' or ''turn.'' Thi ...
, increased its profit to $2.36 billion during the first half of 2020 compared to $982 million for the same period in 2019, due to increased volatility, volume and retail trader engagement. In January 2021, Griffin attracted criticism for the role Citadel played in the
GameStop short squeeze In January 2021, a short squeeze of the stock of the American video game retailer GameStop and other Security (finance), securities took place, causing major financial consequences for certain hedge funds and large losses for Short (finance), ...
. On January 25, it was announced that Citadel would invest $2 billion into Melvin Capital, which had suffered losses of more than 30% on account of its short positions, particularly on GameStop. On January 28, Robinhood, an
electronic trading platform In finance, an electronic trading platform, also known as an online trading platform, is a computer software program that can be used to place orders for financial products over a network with a financial intermediary. Various financial products ...
favored by many traders involved in buying GameStop stock and options, announced that it would halt all purchases of GameStop securities and only allow these securities to be sold; the price of GME stock declined steeply shortly thereafter. Because Robinhood receives a substantial portion of its revenue through a
payment for order flow Payment for order flow (PFOF) is the compensation that a stockbroker receives from a market maker in exchange for the broker routing its clients' trades to that market maker. The market maker profits from the bid-ask spread and rebates a portion of ...
relationship with Citadel, 85% of which is owned by Griffin, many commentators criticized the potential for conflict of interest when the same entity both plays the role of market-maker and also participates in the market it makes; Griffin has been at the center of much discussion of this controversy. On February 18, 2021, he testified before the House Financial Services Committee about his role in the GameStop controversy; Griffin had donated money directly to four members of the committee, Republicans French Hill,
Andy Barr Garland Hale "Andy" Barr IV (born July 24, 1973) is an American attorney and politician serving as the U.S. representative for Kentucky's 6th congressional district since 2013. A member of the Republican Party, he previously served in the adm ...
, Ann Wagner, and
Bill Huizenga William Patrick Huizenga ( ; born January 31, 1969) is an American politician serving as a U.S. representative from Michigan since 2011, representing the state's 4th congressional district. A member of the Republican Party, Huizenga served in t ...
.


Philanthropy

Griffin is a large private donor to charities and nonprofit organizations, having donated over $2 billion to charities so far. In September 2023, he established Griffin Catalyst, a platform for his philanthropic and civic work. The organization serves as an umbrella for his various efforts.


Arts

From 2000 to 2022, Griffin served on the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago's board of trustees. In July 2007, Griffin donated a $19 million addition to the
Art Institute of Chicago The Art Institute of Chicago, founded in 1879, is one of the oldest and largest art museums in the United States. The museum is based in the Art Institute of Chicago Building in Chicago's Grant Park (Chicago), Grant Park. Its collection, stewa ...
designed by Renzo Piano and named ''Kenneth and Anne Griffin Court''. One of his paintings by
Paul Cézanne Paul Cézanne ( , , ; ; ; 19 January 1839 – 22 October 1906) was a French Post-Impressionism, Post-Impressionist painter whose work introduced new modes of representation, influenced avant-garde artistic movements of the early 20th century a ...
was loaned to the institute. In 2010, Griffin contributed to the
Chicago Symphony Orchestra The Chicago Symphony Orchestra (CSO) is an American symphony orchestra based in Chicago, Illinois. Founded by Theodore Thomas in 1891, the ensemble has been based in the Symphony Center since 1904 and plays a summer season at the Ravinia F ...
's productions at Millennium Park. Griffin contributed to the
Art Institute of Chicago The Art Institute of Chicago, founded in 1879, is one of the oldest and largest art museums in the United States. The museum is based in the Art Institute of Chicago Building in Chicago's Grant Park (Chicago), Grant Park. Its collection, stewa ...
and resigned from its board in 2022. He serves on the board of trustees at the
Whitney Museum of American Art The Whitney Museum of American Art, known informally as "The Whitney", is a Modern art, modern and Contemporary art, contemporary American art museum located in the Meatpacking District, Manhattan, Meatpacking District and West Village neighbor ...
in New York, whose lobby bears his name: Kenneth C. Griffin Hall. In February 2015, Griffin donated $10 million to the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago to create the Griffin Galleries of Contemporary Art. In December 2015, he donated an unrestricted $40 million to the
Museum of Modern Art The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) is an art museum located in Midtown Manhattan, New York City, on 53rd Street (Manhattan), 53rd Street between Fifth Avenue, Fifth and Sixth Avenues. MoMA's collection spans the late 19th century to the present, a ...
in New York. In 2018, he donated $20 million to the Norton Museum of Art.


Communities

In December 2021, Griffin gave $5 million to support the construction of Miami's 10-mile linear park and urban trail The Underline. In 2022, he created the Ukraine Math and Science Achievement Fund with $3 million, which supports young Ukrainian refugees studying at
Cambridge University The University of Cambridge is a Public university, public collegiate university, collegiate research university in Cambridge, England. Founded in 1209, the University of Cambridge is the List of oldest universities in continuous operation, wo ...
. In May 2022, he gave $5 million to help launch the Miami Disaster Resilience Fund, which prepares the city for disasters like hurricanes. In April 2024, the Preservation Foundation of Palm Beach announced a $7 million gift from Griffin. The money is to be used to support the support the restoration of Phipps Ocean Park, expand community education, and increase accessibility.


COVID-19 donations

In March 2020, in response to the
COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic (also known as the coronavirus pandemic and COVID pandemic), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), began with an disease outbreak, outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, in December ...
, Griffin contributed $2.5 million to support food services for children in
Chicago Public Schools Chicago Public Schools (CPS), officially classified as City of Chicago School District #299 for funding and districting reasons, in Chicago, Illinois, is the List of the largest school districts in the United States by enrollment, fourth-large ...
. In May 2020, Griffin and his partners at Citadel made a ÂŁ3 million donation to help develop a
COVID-19 vaccine A COVID19 vaccine is a vaccine intended to provide acquired immunity against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the virus that causes coronavirus disease 2019 ( COVID19). Knowledge about the structure and fun ...
and to support
NHS Nightingale Hospitals COVID-19 hospitals in the United Kingdom were COVID-19 hospital, temporary hospitals set up in the United Kingdom and overseas territories as part of the response to the COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom, COVID-19 pandemic. They principa ...
. Griffin oversaw a $2 million donation from Citadel to
Weill Cornell Medicine Weill Cornell Medicine (; officially Joan and Sanford I. Weill Medical College of Cornell University), originally Cornell University Medical College, is the medical school of Cornell University, located on the Upper East Side of Manhattan in Ne ...
to help fund the development of new ways to protect people from
COVID-19 Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious disease caused by the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2. In January 2020, the disease spread worldwide, resulting in the COVID-19 pandemic. The symptoms of COVID‑19 can vary but often include fever ...
and identify new cases of the illness.


Education

Griffin has worked with the
Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation The Gates Foundation is an American private foundation founded by Bill Gates and Melinda French Gates. Based in Seattle, Washington, it was launched in 2000 and is reported to be List of wealthiest charitable foundations, the third largest char ...
to promote charter schools in the U.S. and fund tutoring. In 2011, he worked with
University of Chicago The University of Chicago (UChicago, Chicago, or UChi) is a Private university, private research university in Chicago, Illinois, United States. Its main campus is in the Hyde Park, Chicago, Hyde Park neighborhood on Chicago's South Side, Chic ...
economics professor John A. List to test whether investment in teachers or in parents produces better student performance outcomes. At the beginning of 2014, Griffin made a $150 million donation to the financial aid program at
Harvard University Harvard University is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States. Founded in 1636 and named for its first benefactor, the History of the Puritans in North America, Puritan clergyma ...
, his
alma mater Alma mater (; : almae matres) is an allegorical Latin phrase meaning "nourishing mother". It personifies a school that a person has attended or graduated from. The term is related to ''alumnus'', literally meaning 'nursling', which describes a sc ...
, the largest single donation ever made to the institution at the time. In 2014, he was elected to a five-year term on the
University of Chicago The University of Chicago (UChicago, Chicago, or UChi) is a Private university, private research university in Chicago, Illinois, United States. Its main campus is in the Hyde Park, Chicago, Hyde Park neighborhood on Chicago's South Side, Chic ...
's board of trustees. He is also a member of the Economic Club of Chicago and the civic committee of the
Commercial Club of Chicago The Commercial Club of Chicago is a nonprofit 501(c)(4) social welfare organization founded in 1877 with a mission to promote the social and economic vitality of the metropolitan area of Chicago. History The Commercial Club was founded in 187 ...
. Griffin is the vice chairman of the Chicago Public Education Fund. In October 2017, Griffin's charitable fund donated $1 million to the
Obama Foundation The Barack Obama Foundation is a Chicago-based nonprofit organization founded in 2014. It oversees the creation of the Barack Obama Presidential Center, runs the My Brother's Keeper Alliance (a program Barack Obama began while he was president) ...
. In November 2017, Griffin's charitable fund made a $125 million gift to support the Department of Economics of the University of Chicago, renamed the Kenneth C. Griffin Department of Economics. Griffin donated $21.5 million to the
Field Museum of Natural History The Field Museum of Natural History (FMNH), also known as The Field Museum, is a natural history museum in Chicago, Illinois, and is one of the largest such museums in the world. The museum is popular for the size and quality of its educationa ...
and its dinosaur exhibit is named the ''Griffin Dinosaur Experience''. In October 2019, Griffin's charitable fund announced a $125 million gift to the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago, the largest gift in the museum's history. The museum was renamed the Kenneth C. Griffin Museum of Science and Industry. In April 2021, he donated $5 million to an initiative to provide Internet access to students in
Miami Miami is a East Coast of the United States, coastal city in the U.S. state of Florida and the county seat of Miami-Dade County, Florida, Miami-Dade County in South Florida. It is the core of the Miami metropolitan area, which, with a populat ...
. In November 2021, Griffin outbid a group of crypto investors to purchase the last privately held copy of the
United States Constitution The Constitution of the United States is the Supremacy Clause, supreme law of the United States, United States of America. It superseded the Articles of Confederation, the nation's first constitution, on March 4, 1789. Originally includi ...
at auction for $43.2 million. Griffin said, "I intend to ensure that this copy of our Constitution will be available for all Americans and visitors to view and appreciate in our museums and other public spaces", with plans to display it first at the Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art in Arkansas. In March 2022, Griffin donated $40 million to the American Museum of Natural History in New York to help complete the 230,000 square foot renovation. In July 2022, he donated $130 million to Chicago nonprofits before his move to Florida. In October 2022, Griffin donated $250,000 to a Miami scholarship program for STEM students, his first donation since moving Citadel's headquarters there. Griffin, the
Carnegie Corporation of New York The Carnegie Corporation of New York is a philanthropic fund established by Andrew Carnegie in 1911 to support education programs across the United States, and later the world. Since its founding, the Carnegie Corporation has endowed or othe ...
, and the Walton Family Foundation have funded The Education Recovery Scorecard, an analysis of pandemic learning loss released in October 2022 that uses local and national test score data to map changes in student performance. In April 2023, Griffin donated $300 million to the
Harvard Faculty of Arts and Sciences The Harvard Faculty of Arts and Sciences (FAS) is the largest of the ten faculties that constitute Harvard University. Headquartered principally in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and centered in the historic Harvard Yard, FAS is the only faculty respo ...
, and Harvard announced that it would rename its Graduate School of Arts and Sciences after him. A few weeks later, Griffin donated $25 million to Success Academy Charter Schools, New York City's largest charter school network, and gave $20 million to
Miami Dade College Miami Dade College (MDC) is a public university, public college located in Miami, Miami, Florida, United States. Established in 1959, MDC operates eight campuses and numerous outreach centers throughout Miami-Dade County, Florida, Miami-Dade Count ...
, where he also addressed the 2023 graduating class. In April 2024, Griffin donated $9 million to fund a math-tutoring program for students in the
Miami-Dade County Public Schools Miami-Dade County Public Schools (M-DCPS) is the public school district serving Miami-Dade County, Florida, Miami-Dade County in the U.S. state of Florida. Founded in 1885, it is the largest school district in Florida, the largest in the South ...
, in partnership with the
University of Chicago The University of Chicago (UChicago, Chicago, or UChi) is a Private university, private research university in Chicago, Illinois, United States. Its main campus is in the Hyde Park, Chicago, Hyde Park neighborhood on Chicago's South Side, Chic ...
and Accelerate, to address education gaps caused by the
COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic (also known as the coronavirus pandemic and COVID pandemic), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), began with an disease outbreak, outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, in December ...
.


Military and veterans

In July 2020, Griffin donated $10 million to the U.S. Navy SEAL Foundation. The gift will support the expansion of resiliency programming for children, fund a scholarship program for higher education, and support other programs for
Navy SEALs The United States Navy Sea, Air, and Land (SEAL) Teams, commonly known as Navy SEALs, are the United States Navy's primary special operations force and a component of the United States Naval Special Warfare Command. Among the SEALs' main funct ...
and their families. In November 2023, he donated $30 million to the National Medal of Honor Museum Foundation to support the construction of a museum in
Arlington, Texas Arlington is a city in Tarrant County, Texas, Tarrant County, Texas, United States. It is part of the Mid-Cities region of the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, Dallas–Fort Worth–Arlington metropolitan statistical area, and is a principal c ...
, honoring the recipients of the
medal A medal or medallion is a small portable artistic object, a thin disc, normally of metal, carrying a design, usually on both sides. They typically have a commemorative purpose of some kind, and many are presented as awards. They may be in ...
. The museum will include a theater and a conference center to provide national educational programming.


Poverty

Griffin supported the University of Chicago's Center for Urban School Improvement, a program encouraging the construction of an inner-city charter high school, and contributed to the Lurie Children's Hospital. In 2017, Griffin contributed $15 million to the Robin Hood Foundation. In May 2022, The University of Chicago announced a $25 million donation from Griffin to launch an initiative design to train police managers and prevent neighborhood violence. The funds will aid in launching two community Safety Leadership Academies. The Policing Management Academy aims to professionalize departments by educating their leaders though coaching, accountability and data-driven decision making. This donation came after Griffin's $10 million donation to the Crime Lab in 2018 to implement an early intervention system to investigate citizen complaints.


Religion

Griffin is a member of the Fourth Presbyterian Church of Chicago, where he was married. In 2011, he donated $11.5 million of the $38.2 million needed to build a new chapel at the church. The modern building is called "The Gratz Center" in honor of Griffin's grandparents.


Science and medicine

In March 2023, Griffin partnered with former
Google Google LLC (, ) is an American multinational corporation and technology company focusing on online advertising, search engine technology, cloud computing, computer software, quantum computing, e-commerce, consumer electronics, and artificial ...
CEO
Eric Schmidt Eric Emerson Schmidt (born April 27, 1955) is an American businessman and former computer engineer who was the chief executive officer of Google from 2001 to 2011 and the company's chairman, executive chairman from 2011 to 2015. He also was the ...
to donate $50 million to Schmidt's new scientific research project, Convergent Research. In early 2023, Griffin gave $25 million, his largest single donation to date in Florida, to the Nicklaus Children's Hospital in Miami. In December 2023, Griffin and American entrepreneur
David Geffen David Lawrence Geffen (born February 21, 1943) is an American film producer, record executive, and media proprietor. In music, he co-founded Asylum Records with Elliot Roberts in 1971 before founding Geffen Records in 1980, DGC Records in 1 ...
pledged to donate $400 million to the
Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSK or MSKCC) is a cancer treatment and research institution in Manhattan in New York City. MSKCC is one of 72 National Cancer Institute– designated Comprehensive Cancer Centers. Its main campus is ...
, the largest single gift in the cancer center's 150-year history. In March 2024, Griffin announced a gift of $50 million to be used for research at the Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center at the
University of Miami The University of Miami (UM, UMiami, Miami, U of M, and The U) is a private university, private research university in Coral Gables, Florida, United States. , the university enrolled 19,852 students in two colleges and ten schools across over ...
. A new 12-story facility is under construction and will be named the Kenneth C. Griffin Cancer Research Building. Also announced in March 2024 was an additional $50 million donation from Griffin's philanthropic organization Griffin Catalyst to the Baptist Health Foundation to expand its Miami Neuroscience Institute. The facility is to be named the Kenneth C. Griffin Center at the Baptist Health Miami Neuroscience Institute.


Political views and activities

In a 2012 interview with the ''
Chicago Tribune The ''Chicago Tribune'' is an American daily newspaper based in Chicago, Illinois, United States. Founded in 1847, it was formerly self-styled as the "World's Greatest Newspaper", a slogan from which its once integrated WGN (AM), WGN radio and ...
'', Griffin said that the rich actually have too little influence in politics. He identified as a
Ronald Reagan Ronald Wilson Reagan (February 6, 1911 – June 5, 2004) was an American politician and actor who served as the 40th president of the United States from 1981 to 1989. He was a member of the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party a ...
Republican. He said the belief "that a larger government is what creates prosperity, that a larger government is what creates good" is wrong. In a November 2015 interview on
CNBC CNBC is an American List of business news channels, business news channel owned by the NBCUniversal News Group, a unit of Comcast's NBCUniversal. The network broadcasts live business news and analysis programming during the morning, Day ...
, Griffin said he admires Scott Walker, calling him an "absolute champion of free markets and a champion of smaller government". In April 2016, because Citadel owned over 1 million shares of
McDonald's McDonald's Corporation, doing business as McDonald's, is an American Multinational corporation, multinational fast food chain store, chain. As of 2024, it is the second largest by number of locations in the world, behind only the Chinese ch ...
, Griffin was the target of protestors supporting the
Fight for $15 The Fight for $15 is an American political movement advocating for the minimum wage to be raised to USD$15 per hour. The federal minimum wage was last set at $7.25 per hour in 2009. The movement has involved strikes by child care, home ...
. In May 2017, he praised
Donald Trump Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is an American politician, media personality, and businessman who is the 47th president of the United States. A member of the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party, he served as the 45 ...
's efforts at tax and healthcare reform. In 2018, it was announced that Griffin had been appointed the national finance chair for the New Republican PAC fueling
Rick Scott Richard Lynn Scott ( Myers; born December 1, 1952) is an American attorney, businessman, politician, and United States Navy, Navy veteran serving as the Seniority in the United States Senate, senior United States senator from the state of F ...
's Super PAC. In November 2018, Griffin criticized Trump's tweets berating
Chair of the Federal Reserve The chair of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System is the head of the Federal Reserve, and is the active executive officer of the Federal Reserve Board of Governors, Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System. The chairman p ...
Jerome Powell, calling them "completely inappropriate for the president of the United States". In January 2019, Griffin was singled out by
Elizabeth Warren Elizabeth Ann Warren (née Herring; born June 22, 1949) is an American politician and former law professor who is the Seniority in the United States Senate, senior United States senator from the state of Massachusetts, serving since 2013. A mem ...
on a
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post as someone who can pay her Ultra-Millionaire Tax. During a March 2019 interview with David Rubenstein, he criticized Warren's proposals, saying, "soaking the rich doesn't work". In January 2020, Griffin was absent from a signing ceremony for the phase-one trade deal with China at the
White House The White House is the official residence and workplace of the president of the United States. Located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue Northwest (Washington, D.C.), NW in Washington, D.C., it has served as the residence of every U.S. president ...
, for which Trump criticized him. In September 2020, Griffin wrote an
op-ed An op-ed, short for "opposite the editorial page," is a type of written prose commonly found in newspapers, magazines, and online publications. They usually represent a writer's strong and focused opinion on an issue of relevance to a targeted a ...
published in the ''
Chicago Tribune The ''Chicago Tribune'' is an American daily newspaper based in Chicago, Illinois, United States. Founded in 1847, it was formerly self-styled as the "World's Greatest Newspaper", a slogan from which its once integrated WGN (AM), WGN radio and ...
'' stating his opposition to
Governor of Illinois The governor of Illinois is the head of government of Illinois Illinois ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern United States. It borders on Lake Michigan to its northeast, the Mississippi River to its we ...
J. B. Pritzker's "Fair Tax" proposal, which would change Illinois's income tax from a flat tax to a graduated tax. In an October 2020 email to
Citadel LLC Citadel LLC (formerly known as Citadel Investment Group, LLC) is an American multinational hedge fund and financial services company. Founded in 1990 by Kenneth Griffin, it has more than $65 billion in assets under management . The company has ...
's Chicago employees, Griffin criticized Pritzker's tax plan and alluded to the possibility of moving his company out of Illinois. While being interviewed by Paul Tudor Jones at the Robin Hood Foundation investor conference in October 2020, Griffin criticized
Joe Biden Joseph Robinette Biden Jr. (born November 20, 1942) is an American politician who was the 46th president of the United States from 2021 to 2025. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, he served as the 47th vice p ...
's plans to raise the long-term
capital gains tax A capital gains tax (CGT) is the tax on profits realized on the sale of a non-inventory asset. The most common capital gains are realized from the sale of stocks, bonds, precious metals, real estate, and property. In South Africa, capital g ...
rate. After
Hamas The Islamic Resistance Movement, abbreviated Hamas (the Arabic acronym from ), is a Palestinian nationalist Sunni Islam, Sunni Islamism, Islamist political organisation with a military wing, the Qassam Brigades. It has Gaza Strip under Hama ...
's
October 7 attacks On October 7, 2023, Hamas and several other Palestinian militant groups launched coordinated armed incursions from the Gaza Strip into the Gaza envelope of southern Israel, the first invasion of Israeli territory since the 1948 Arab–Israeli ...
on Israel in 2023, Griffin contacted the
Harvard Corporation The President and Fellows of Harvard College, also called the Harvard Corporation or just the Corporation, is the smaller and more powerful of Harvard University's two governing boards. It refers to itself as the oldest corporation in the Western ...
leadership to demand a university response, including a condemnation of 30 student groups that signed a letter critical of Israel. He also supported statements made by fellow alumnus and donor
Bill Ackman William Albert Ackman (born May 11, 1966) is an American billionaire hedge fund manager who is the founder and chief executive officer of Pershing Square Capital Management, a hedge fund management company. His investment approach has made him ...
that his firm would not hire students who signed the letter. In January 2024, Griffin expressed his discontent with Harvard's educational approach, saying that the university should focus on educating future leaders and problem solvers rather than getting lost in issues like microaggressions and DEI. In May 2024, he criticized the "failed education system" for anti-Israel protests on campuses, urging Harvard to "embrace our Western values that have built one of the greatest nations in the world".


Political contributions

In a 2012 interview, Griffin said that people should be able to make unlimited contributions to politicians, but that the contributions should be public. Griffin has made political donations to conservative political candidates, parties, and organizations, such as American Crossroads and the Republican Governors Association. During the
2010 United States elections Elections were held in the United States on November 2, 2010, in the middle of Democratic President Barack Obama's first term. Republicans ended unified Democratic control of Congress and the presidency by winning a majority in the House of R ...
, Griffin donated $721,600 to federal candidates and political committees. Except for a $2,400 contribution to then
United States Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs The United States Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs (formerly the Committee on Banking and Currency), also known as the Senate Banking Committee, has jurisdiction over matters related to banks and banking, price controls, ...
Chairman
Chris Dodd Christopher John Dodd (born May 27, 1944) is an American lobbyist, lawyer, and Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party politician who served as a United States senator from Connecticut from 1981 to 2011. Dodd is the List of United Sta ...
, all the contributions were to Republicans. During the 2012 election cycle, Griffin contributed around $1.1 million to Restore Our Future, a pro- Romney
super PAC Independent expenditure-only political action committees, better known as super PACs, are a type of political action committee (PAC) in the United States. Unlike traditional PACs, super PACs are legally allowed to fundraise unlimited amounts of m ...
. Griffin contributed $2 million to the Freedom Partners Action Fund, a Republican-aligned super PAC backed by
Charles Charles is a masculine given name predominantly found in English language, English and French language, French speaking countries. It is from the French form ''Charles'' of the Proto-Germanic, Proto-Germanic name (in runic alphabet) or ''* ...
and David Koch, in November 2015. The next month, Griffin endorsed
Marco Rubio Marco Antonio Rubio (; born May 28, 1971) is an American politician, lawyer, and diplomat serving since 2025 as the 72nd United States Secretary of State, United States secretary of state. A member of the Republican Party (United States) , Rep ...
for the 2016 Republican presidential nomination. He gave $5 million to a pro-Rubio super PAC. Before this endorsement, he had donated $100,000 each to three super PACs supporting Rubio,
Jeb Bush John Ellis "Jeb" Bush (born February 11, 1953) is an American politician and businessman who served as the 43rd governor of Florida from 1999 to 2007. A member of the Bush family, Bush political family, he was an unsuccessful candidate for pre ...
, and Scott Walker for the nomination. Griffin was the biggest donor to
Rahm Emanuel Rahm Israel Emanuel (; born November 29, 1959) is an American politician, advisor, diplomat, and former investment banker who most recently served as List of ambassadors of the United States to Japan, United States ambassador to Japan from 2022 ...
's campaign for reelection as
mayor of Chicago The mayor of Chicago is the Chief executive officer, chief executive of city Government of Chicago, government in Chicago, Illinois, the List of United States cities by population, third-largest city in the United States. The mayor is responsib ...
. Griffin was one of the primary backers of Future 45, a pro-Trump super PAC. After Trump won the 2016 Republican nomination, Griffin did not contribute to his campaign. In 2017, he contributed $20 million to the campaign of
Governor of Illinois The governor of Illinois is the head of government of Illinois Illinois ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern United States. It borders on Lake Michigan to its northeast, the Mississippi River to its we ...
Bruce Rauner Bruce Vincent Rauner (; born February 18, 1956) is an American businessman, venture capitalist, and politician who served as the 42nd governor of Illinois from 2015 to 2019. A member of the Republican Party, he had a decades-long career in inves ...
. In March 2020, Griffin contributed $1 million to the 1820 PAC created to support the reelection of U.S. Senator
Susan Collins Susan Margaret Collins (born December 7, 1952) is an American politician serving as the senior United States senator from Maine. A member of the Republican Party, she has held her seat since 1997 and is Maine's longest-serving member of ...
. In late 2020, he donated another $500,000 to the 1820 PAC. In 2020, Griffin donated $20 million to the Coalition To Stop The Proposed Tax Hike Amendment, a group opposing the Illinois Fair Tax in its 2020 referendum. Weeks later, he donated another $26.75 million to the coalition. Griffin later donated another $7 million to the group, bringing his total contributions to $53.75 million. Also that year, he donated $2 million to an anti-retention effort for Justice Thomas L. Kilbride, a Democrat on the
Supreme Court of Illinois The Supreme Court of Illinois is the state supreme court, the highest court of the judiciary of Illinois. The court's authority is granted in Article VI of the current Illinois Constitution, which provides for seven justices elected from the ...
. Griffin supported Kelly Loeffler and
David Perdue David Alfred Perdue Jr. (born December 10, 1949) is an American politician, diplomat, and businessman serving as the List of ambassadors of the United States to China, United States ambassador to China since 2025. A member of the Republican Pa ...
in the 2020–21 United States Senate election in Georgia. In October 2020, he was criticized for a $2 million contribution to a Super PAC supporting Loeffler and funded by her husband,
New York Stock Exchange The New York Stock Exchange (NYSE, nicknamed "The Big Board") is an American stock exchange in the Financial District, Manhattan, Financial District of Lower Manhattan in New York City. It is the List of stock exchanges, largest stock excha ...
Chairman Jeffrey Sprecher just after one of Citadel LLC's companies needed Sprecher's approval for a merger. Griffin contributed a total of $66 million to the
2020 United States elections Elections in the United States, Elections were held in the United States on November 3, 2020. The Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party's nominee, former Vice presidents of the United States, vice president Joe Biden, defeated incu ...
. In 2021, Griffin donated $5 million to
Ron DeSantis Ronald Dion DeSantis (; born September 14, 1978) is an American politician, attorney, and former United States Navy, naval officer serving as the 46th List of governors of Florida, governor of Florida since 2019. A member of the Republican Pa ...
, the governor of Florida. His donations to DeSantis prompted criticism of a possible conflict of interest when DeSantis began promoting Regeneron Pharmaceuticals' therapeutic treatment for
COVID-19 Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious disease caused by the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2. In January 2020, the disease spread worldwide, resulting in the COVID-19 pandemic. The symptoms of COVID‑19 can vary but often include fever ...
. DeSantis has encouraged such
monoclonal antibody A monoclonal antibody (mAb, more rarely called moAb) is an antibody produced from a cell lineage made by cloning a unique white blood cell. All subsequent antibodies derived this way trace back to a unique parent cell. Monoclonal antibodie ...
treatment for COVID-19, which can treat people after they get sick and reduce hospitalization. Shares in Regeneron were a $16 million investment by Griffin's hedge fund.Farrington, Brendan.
DeSantis top donor invests in COVID drug governor promotes
",
ABC News ABC News most commonly refers to: * ABC News (Australia), a national news service of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation * ABC News (United States), a news-gathering and broadcasting division of the American Broadcasting Company ABC News may a ...
(18 Aug 2021).
The fund denied any conflict of interest, noting that it had much larger investments in vaccine makers
Pfizer Pfizer Inc. ( ) is an American Multinational corporation, multinational Pharmaceutical industry, pharmaceutical and biotechnology corporation headquartered at The Spiral (New York City), The Spiral in Manhattan, New York City. Founded in 184 ...
and
Moderna Moderna, Inc. ( ) is an American pharmaceutical and biotechnology company based in Cambridge, Massachusetts, that focuses on RNA therapeutics, primarily mRNA vaccines. These vaccines use a copy of a molecule called messenger RNA (mRNA) to carry inst ...
. Likewise, a DeSantis spokesperson said that any suggestion of corruption over this connection to Griffin via Regeneron was illogical. Griffin has at times criticized DeSantis, for example saying, "I don't appreciate Governor DeSantis going after Disney's tax status". Later in 2021, Griffin promised to donate twice the amount to the Republican opponent of incumbent governor J. B. Pritzker that Pritzker gave himself for the 2022 Illinois gubernatorial election. For the 2022 elections, Griffin gave $10 million to Congressional Leadership Fund, the super PAC assisting House Republicans, and $5 million to the super PAC supporting Senate Republicans. On May 5, 2022, he donated $1.5 million to
Lisa Murkowski Lisa Ann Murkowski ( ; born May 22, 1957) is an American attorney and politician serving as the Seniority in the United States Senate, senior United States senator from the state of Alaska, having held the seat since 2002. She is the first woman ...
through Alaskans for L.I.S.A. (Leadership in a Strong Alaska). In March 2023, Griffin contributed $1 million to a political committee affiliated with Miami Mayor
Francis Suarez Francis Xavier Suarez ( ; born October 6, 1977) is an American lawyer and politician who has served as the 43rd List of mayors of Miami, mayor of Miami since 2017. A member of the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party, he previousl ...
. Griffin backed Nikki Haley for the 2024 Republican primaries and contributed $5 million to her presidential campaign. He also supported David McCormick and
Tim Sheehy Timothy Patrick Sheehy (; born November 18, 1985) is an American politician, businessman, Aerial firefighting, aerial firefighter, and former United States Navy SEALs, Navy SEAL serving as the United States Senator, junior United States senator ...
for Senate races, contributing $10 million and $5 million, respectively. In August 2024, Griffin contributed $12million to an effort to defeat a proposed amendment that would legalize recreational cannabis in Florida.


Personal life


Marriages

Griffin's first wife was Katherine Weingartt, his high-school sweetheart. The couple married in 1991 and divorced in 1996. In March 2002, Griffin met his second wife, Anne Dias-Griffin after being set up on a blind date by a mutual friend. She is a French-born graduate of
Harvard Business School Harvard Business School (HBS) is the graduate school, graduate business school of Harvard University, a Private university, private Ivy League research university. Located in Allston, Massachusetts, HBS owns Harvard Business Publishing, which p ...
who worked at
Goldman Sachs The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. ( ) is an American multinational investment bank and financial services company. Founded in 1869, Goldman Sachs is headquartered in Lower Manhattan in New York City, with regional headquarters in many internationa ...
,
Soros Fund Management Soros Fund Management is a privately held American investment management firm. It is currently structured as a family office, but formerly was a hedge fund. The firm was founded in 1970 by George Soros and, in 2010, was reported to be one of th ...
, and Viking Global Investors before starting the Chicago-based $55 million firm Aragon Global Management. The couple married in July 2003 and had three children. In July 2014, Griffin filed a divorce petition in
Cook County, Illinois Cook County is the List of counties in Illinois, most populous county in the U.S. state of Illinois and the List of the most populous counties in the United States, second-most-populous county in the United States, after Los Angeles County, C ...
, citing "irreconcilable differences" with Dias-Griffin. The couple had a
prenuptial agreement A prenuptial agreement, antenuptial agreement, or premarital agreement (commonly referred to as a prenup), is a written contract entered into by a couple before marriage or a civil union that enables them to select and control many of the legal ...
that governed the split of their assets in the event of divorce. As part of the agreement, Dias-Griffin received $22.5 million at the beginning of their marriage and an additional $1 million each year they were married. During the marriage, she received $37 million in cash payments and 50% ownership of their Chicago penthouse, which occupies three floors of the building. In court fillings, she claimed that she was forced to sign the prenuptial agreement. She also claimed that Griffin had no right to enter the Chicago penthouse. He allegedly forbade her from entering homes in Hawaii, Miami, Colorado and New York. In later court filings, Dias-Griffin requested $1 million per month in
child support Child support (or child maintenance) is an ongoing, periodic payment made by a parent for the financial benefit of a child (state or parent, caregiver, guardian) following the end of a marriage or other similar relationship. Child maintenance is ...
payments, including $300,000 per month for private jet travel, $160,000 per month for vacation rentals, and $60,000 per month for office space and staff. Griffin claimed that Dias-Griffin was attempting to use child support to fund her "opulent lifestyle". During the divorce, she requested $450,000 for a 10-day vacation to St. Barts over winter break with their three children. Griffin denied her request but agreed to pay $45,000 for a winter vacation. The couple settled their divorce out of court in October 2015, just hours before a public trial over the prenuptial agreement was set to begin. As part of the divorce, Griffin paid $11.75 million to buy out his wife's interest in their Chicago penthouse. He and Dias-Griffin maintain
joint custody Joint custody is a form of child custody pursuant to which custody rights are awarded to both parents. Joint custody may refer to '' joint physical custody'', ''joint legal custody'', or both combined. In joint legal custody, both parents of a ...
of their children.


Art collection

Griffin is an active buyer of
modern art Modern art includes artistic work produced during the period extending roughly from the 1860s to the 1970s, and denotes the styles and philosophies of the art produced during that era. The term is usually associated with art in which the tradit ...
and
contemporary art Contemporary art is a term used to describe the art of today, generally referring to art produced from the 1970s onwards. Contemporary artists work in a globally influenced, culturally diverse, and technologically advancing world. Their art is a ...
from mainstream artists. His portfolio is valued at close to $800 million and includes several paintings on the
list of most expensive paintings This is a list of the highest known prices paid for paintings. The record payment for a work is approximately United States dollar, US$450.3 million (which includes Commission (remuneration), commission) for the work ''Salvator Mundi (Leonardo), ...
. In 1999, he purchased
Paul Cézanne Paul Cézanne ( , , ; ; ; 19 January 1839 – 22 October 1906) was a French Post-Impressionism, Post-Impressionist painter whose work introduced new modes of representation, influenced avant-garde artistic movements of the early 20th century a ...
's 1893 painting ''Curtain, Jug and Fruit Bowl'' for a reported record $60 million for a Cézanne at the time. In October 2006, he purchased ''False Start'' by artist Jasper Johns for $80 million from
David Geffen David Lawrence Geffen (born February 21, 1943) is an American film producer, record executive, and media proprietor. In music, he co-founded Asylum Records with Elliot Roberts in 1971 before founding Geffen Records in 1980, DGC Records in 1 ...
. In 2015, he purchased Gerhard Richter's 1986 painting Abstract Picture, 599 for $46 million. In September 2015, in the largest private art deal ever, he purchased two paintings from Geffen for $500 million:
Willem de Kooning Willem de Kooning ( , ; April 24, 1904 – March 19, 1997) was a Dutch-American abstract expressionist artist. Born in Rotterdam, in the Netherlands, he moved to the United States in 1926, becoming a US citizen in 1962. In 1943, he married pa ...
's 1955 oil painting '' Interchange'' for $300 million, and
Jackson Pollock Paul Jackson Pollock (; January 28, 1912August 11, 1956) was an American painter. A major figure in the abstract expressionist movement, Pollock was widely noticed for his "Drip painting, drip technique" of pouring or splashing liquid household ...
's 1948 painting '' Number 17A'' for $200 million. In 2017, Griffin reportedly purchased
Andy Warhol Andy Warhol (;''Random House Webster's Unabridged Dictionary''"Warhol" born Andrew Warhola Jr.; August 6, 1928 – February 22, 1987) was an American visual artist, film director and producer. A leading figure in the pop art movement, Warhol ...
's 1964 painting ''Orange Marilyn'' privately for around $200 million. In June 2020, he purchased '' Boy and Dog in a Johnnypump'' (1982) by
Jean-Michel Basquiat Jean-Michel Basquiat (; December 22, 1960 – August 12, 1988) was an American artist who rose to success during the 1980s as part of the neo-expressionism movement. Basquiat first achieved notoriety in the late 1970s as part of the graffiti ...
for over $100 million. He loaned the painting to the
Art Institute of Chicago The Art Institute of Chicago, founded in 1879, is one of the oldest and largest art museums in the United States. The museum is based in the Art Institute of Chicago Building in Chicago's Grant Park (Chicago), Grant Park. Its collection, stewa ...
to be put on public display. His collection also includes art by Njideka Akunyili Crosby.


Personal residences

Griffin owns personal residences valued at more than $1 billion. In 2009, Griffin purchased a full floor apartment at 820 Fifth Avenue in New York City for $40 million. In 2015, Griffin purchased two apartments at the top of the Faena House, a condominium on Collins Avenue in
Miami Beach, Florida Miami Beach is a coastal resort city in Miami-Dade County, Florida, United States. It is part of the Miami metropolitan area of South Florida. The municipality is located on natural and human-made barrier islands between the Atlantic Ocean ...
for $60 million. He sold them in late 2020 at a loss. In 2011, Griffin purchased two oceanfront homes at the Four Seasons Resort Hualalai in
Kailua-Kona, Hawaii Kailua-Kona is an Unincorporated area#United States, unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) in Hawaii County, Hawaii, Hawaii County, Hawaii, United States. It is most commonly referred to simply as Kona (a name it shares wit ...
, for $28 million. In 2013 and 2015, Griffin purchased homes in
Aspen, Colorado Aspen is the List of municipalities in Colorado#Home rule municipality, home rule city that is the county seat and the List of municipalities in Colorado, most populous municipality of Pitkin County, Colorado, United States. The city population ...
, for $10 million and $12.8 million respectively. In 2017, Griffin purchased a penthouse apartment atop the No. 9 Walton luxury condo tower in Chicago's Gold Coast for $58.75 million. The purchase broke the record for the most expensive sale in Chicago history. The condo was delivered as "raw space" so that Griffin could build it out to his liking. Griffin also owns a full-floor penthouse at the Waldorf Astoria private residences across the street from No. 9 Walton. Records show he purchased it for $6.884 million in 2010. In 2019, Griffin purchased 3 Carlton Gardens, a Georgian mansion in London for $122 million. The purchase broke several records. In 2019, Griffin set the record for the most expensive residential sale ever closed in the U.S. when he purchased roughly 24,000 square feet across three floors at 220 Central Park South in
Midtown Manhattan Midtown Manhattan is the central portion of the New York City borough of Manhattan, serving as the city's primary central business district. Midtown is home to some of the city's most prominent buildings, including the Empire State Building, the ...
for $238 million. The space was "raw space", meaning Griffin had to build it out. Several New York real estate experts have said that the purchase helped fuel legislation that increased taxes on luxury homes in New York. During an interview with David Rubenstein, Griffin said that the purchase represented the possibility of making New York City his home in the future. Griffin has spent $450 million to assemble one of the largest private waterfront sites in
Palm Beach County, Florida Palm Beach County is a county in the southeastern part of Florida, located in the Miami metropolitan area. It is Florida's third-most populous county after Miami-Dade County, Florida, Miami-Dade County and Broward County, Florida, Broward County ...
, with plans to build a 50,000 square foot estate. In 2020, Griffin purchased a 7-acre oceanfront compound in
Southampton, New York Southampton, officially the Town of Southampton, is a town in southeastern Suffolk County, New York, partly on the South Fork of Long Island. As of the 2020 U.S. census, the town had a population of 69,036. Southampton is included in the stre ...
from
Calvin Klein Calvin Richard Klein (born November 19, 1942) is an American fashion designer. In 1968, he launched the company that later became Calvin Klein. In addition to clothing, he has also given his name to a range of perfumes, watches, and jewellery. ...
for $84.4 million. In 2020, Griffin purchased several properties on Star Island in Miami Beach for a total of $95 million. In 2022, Griffin purchased a waterfront mansion in
Coral Gables, Florida Coral Gables is a city in Miami-Dade County, Florida, United States. The city is part of the Miami metropolitan area of South Florida and is located southwest of Greater Downtown Miami, Downtown Miami. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 ...
for $45.25 million. In 2025, Griffin purchased a duplex at 740 Park Avenue in New York City previously owned by David Koch for $45 million.


Private jets

Griffin owns two private jets: a 2001 Bombardier Global Express valued at $9.5 million and a $50 million 2012 Bombardier Global 6000.


Withdrawn fraud accusation

In June 2006, Rush E. Simonson, claiming to be Griffin's mentor, filed a fraud case (2006-L-005997) against Griffin, alleging that he was entitled to a percentage of Citadel's profits for creating a computer program upon which Citadel was founded. In court filings, Simonson said that he first befriended Griffin in 1982 as a computer salesman. The two struck up a business partnership in convertible-arbitrage. Griffin provided the trading savvy, working both out of his Harvard dorm room and at home in Florida, while Simonson allegedly created the computer program that served as its technological backbone. According to the suit, Griffin struck a deal with a prominent Chicago investor in the late 1980s. As Griffin and Simonson began to unwind their partnership, the suit claimed, Griffin instead began to lay the foundations of what would become Citadel. In doing so, Griffin allegedly improperly took the program that Simonson had created. Simonson also said in his lawsuit that Griffin did not give him a cut of Citadel's profits. In January 2007, he dropped the lawsuit and apologized to Griffin.


In popular culture

Nick Offerman Nicholas David Offerman (born June 26, 1970) is an American actor. He became widely known for his role as Ron Swanson in the NBC sitcom '' Parks and Recreation'' (2009–2015), for which he received the Television Critics Association Award fo ...
portrays Griffin in the 2023 film '' Dumb Money'', a biographical drama about the GameStop short squeeze. Griffin claims the original script contained many fabrications, and he coordinated with
Sony Pictures Sony Pictures Entertainment Inc. is an American diversified multinational mass media and entertainment studio conglomerate that produces, acquires, and distributes filmed entertainment (theatrical motion pictures, television programs, and rec ...
to correct some inaccuracies before its release, but he still finds aspects of the film to be sensationalized.


See also

*
List of Harvard University people The list of Harvard University alumni includes notable graduates, professors, and administrators affiliated with Harvard University. For a list of notable non-graduates of Harvard, see the list of Harvard University non-graduate alumni. For ...


References


Further reading

* * '' The Quants'', Scott Patterson,
Crown Publishing Group The Crown Publishing Group is a subsidiary of Penguin Random House that publishes across several fiction and non-fiction categories. Originally founded in 1933 as a remaindered books wholesaler called Outlet Book Company, the firm expanded int ...
, February 2, 2010
Ken Griffin's rise to power
CNBC CNBC is an American List of business news channels, business news channel owned by the NBCUniversal News Group, a unit of Comcast's NBCUniversal. The network broadcasts live business news and analysis programming during the morning, Day ...
, May 15, 2015 {{DEFAULTSORT:Griffin, Kenneth C. 1968 births 20th-century American businesspeople 21st-century American businesspeople American billionaires American financial analysts American financial businesspeople American hedge fund managers American money managers American Presbyterians American stock traders Businesspeople from Chicago Businesspeople from Florida Harvard College alumni Illinois Republicans Living people People from Daytona Beach, Florida Stock and commodity market managers Chief investment officers Boca Raton Community High School alumni