Investor Ken Griffin’s approach to philanthropy has a lot in common with the strategy he pursues at Citadel, the highly successful hedge fund company he founded in 1990: Both are focused on evidence-based initiatives with the potential to deliver high-impact, scalable results. “I want to be seen first and foremost as a person who supports problem solvers,” Griffin says. “If we're going to unleash opportunity in this country and restore greatness across America, we're going to need countless problem solvers.”
That has recently led Griffin, whose lifetime giving exceeds $2 billion, to donate $400 million, in combination with the David Geffen Foundation, to the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, part of which will fund a new state-of-the-art cancer pavilion currently under construction in New York City. Within the last 18 months, the Miami resident has also donated $50 million to advance neurological care at Baptist Health South Florida and donated $50 million in funding to accelerate development of new therapies, enhance patient care and expand access to clinical trials at the University of Miami Health System. Access to education is also a priority, leading to a recent $20 million gift to Miami Dade College for scholarships and $35 million to the Success Academy in New York City to increase enrollment and open three middle schools.
Griffin’s latest donation, announced in May 2025: $15 million to the National Constitution Center—the largest donation in the organization’s history—which will include lending it his first-edition copy of the U.S. Constitution in time for public viewing during America’s 250th anniversary celebration next year.