How Did Ken Griffin Make His Money?

Griffin, 53, began trading in 1987 from his Harvard dorm, installing a satellite dish on the roof to get real-time stock quotes.

He founded hedge fund Citadel LLC in 1990, which today manages over $39 billion in assets.

From Citadel LLC, 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,[27] and $1.8 billion in 2020.

In 2015, at his own expense, Griffin hired Katy Perry and Maroon 5 to entertain his employees.

In November 2020, according to Bloomberg News Griffin’s net worth surpassed $20 billion due to an increase the value of Citadel, of which Griffin’s stake was worth $11.2 billion.

Citadel Securities, a market maker, 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.

Griffin has contributed tens of millions of dollars to political candidates and causes, primarily those of the Republican Party.

He has also donated to a number of charitable causes, particularly in the fields of education and the arts. He owns an art collection valued at $800 million and personal residences valued in total at over $1 billion.

Griffin currently has an estimated net worth of either US$16 billion or US$21 billion, making him the 2nd richest person in Illinois and the 45th richest person in America.