Ken Griffin isn’t just CEO of hedge fund behemoth Citadel. He’s also an avid American history buff who has spent millions acquiring rare documents like first printings of the U.S. Constitution and Bill of Rights. Now, the billionaire is donating $15 million and lending several of his prized first editions to a Philadelphia nonprofit ahead of the nation’s 250th anniversary celebration next year.
“The remarkable prosperity of America over the past 250 years is a testament to the genius of the republic, as enshrined in our Constitution,” said Griffin in a statement. “The authors of the Constitution had incredible foresight in designing a system of government that has withstood the test of time and now, more than ever, protects the American dream.”
Griffin’s gift to the National Constitution Center (NCC)—a museum dedicated to the U.S. Constitution that opened in 2003—is the largest in the institution’s history. The funding will support the launch of two new galleries: one focused on America’s founding principles and another exploring the separation of powers and federalism, scheduled to open in February and May of next year, respectively.
In addition to the donation, Griffin is temporarily loaning his copy of the U.S. Constitution, one of only 14 known first-edition printings of the historic text. He purchased the document for $43.2 million at a Sotheby’s auction in 2021, outbidding a crypto collective known as ConstitutionDAO and setting a record for the most expensive book, manuscript or printed text ever sold at auction.
At the time, Griffin stated the document would “be available for all Americans and visitors to view and appreciate in our museums and other public spaces.” He later loaned it to the Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art in Bentonville, Ark., where it was exhibited in 2022.
In addition to his first-edition printing of the U.S. Constitution, Griffin will also loan the NCC another rare document: a first-edition copy of the proposed constitutional amendments passed by the House of Representatives in 1789 for Senate consideration—amendments that would later become the U.S. Bill of Rights. Griffin reportedly purchased the document for $1.5 million at a Sotheby’s auction held shortly after his acquisition of the Constitution, and it was also previously loaned to the Crystal Bridges Museum of Art.
Both documents will be on public display at the NCC through 2026. In recognition of Griffin’s gift, the institution will name its central welcoming space the Kenneth C. Griffin Great Hall. “All of us at the National Constitution Center are honored to tell the story of America’s founding in such a meaningful way thanks to the generosity of Ken Griffin,” said Jeffrey Rosen, CEO and president of the nonprofit, adding that its new galleries “will engage and inspire millions.”
This isn’t the first time Griffin—who has donated more than $2 billion to philanthropic causes—has put his fortune toward patriotic initiatives. He previously gave $30 million to a Texas museum honoring recipients of the U.S. Armed Forces’ Medal of Honor, funded the civic education video series The Constitution EXPLAINED, and supported efforts including the Navy SEAL Foundation, the restoration of the Lincoln Memorial, and FIRE, a nonprofit that defends free speech on college campuses.
