People

Ken Griffin

Ken Griffin

Formal First Name
Kenneth (Ken)
Link
Dates
10/15/1968 - present
Location

Ken Griffin is the Chief Executive Officer and Co-Chief Investment Officer of Citadel, a leading hedge fund firm he founded in 1990. A then-19-year-old sophomore at Harvard University, Griffin started trading from his dorm room with a fax machine, a personal computer, and a telephone. He put a satellite dish on the roof to get real-time stock quotes. Today, he serves as one of the major options specialists and retail equity market makers in the United States. Griffin is also a passionate philanthropist, supporting educational and cultural causes that drive community engagement and improvement.

Professional Experience

  • Founder, Chief Executive Officer and Co-Chief Investment Officer

Academic History

  • Griffin first began trading from his Harvard dorm in 1987. 
  • He donated $150 million to support need-based financial aid at Harvard in 2014, the largest gift in school history at the time.
  • He has given over $1 billion to numerous organizations including:
  • He actively participates in civic and cultural institutions, serving on the:
    • Board of Directors of the Chicago Public Education Fund
    • Board of Trustees for the Art Institute of Chicago
    • Board of Trustees for the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago
    • Board of Trustees for the Whitney Museum of American Art
    • Board of Trustees for The University of Chicago
  • He is also a member of numerous business organizations, including: