{"id":7136,"date":"2025-05-19T22:05:37","date_gmt":"2025-05-19T22:05:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/nationalgunowner.org\/index.php\/2025\/05\/19\/ken-griffin-loans-rare-u-s-founding-documents-for-public-display\/"},"modified":"2025-05-19T22:05:38","modified_gmt":"2025-05-19T22:05:38","slug":"ken-griffin-loans-rare-u-s-founding-documents-for-public-display","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/nationalgunowner.org\/index.php\/2025\/05\/19\/ken-griffin-loans-rare-u-s-founding-documents-for-public-display\/","title":{"rendered":"Ken Griffin Loans Rare U.S. Founding Documents for Public Display"},"content":{"rendered":"
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The hedge fund manager\u2019s cumulative philanthropy totals at more than $2 billion. John Parra\/Getty Images for P\u00e9rez Art Museum Miami<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Ken Griffin<\/a> isn\u2019t just CEO of hedge fund behemoth Citadel<\/a>. He\u2019s 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\u2019s 250th anniversary celebration next year.<\/p>\n

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\u201cThe remarkable prosperity of America over the past 250 years is a testament to the genius of the republic, as enshrined in our Constitution,\u201d said Griffin in a statement. \u201cThe 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.\u201d<\/p>\n

Griffin\u2019s gift to the National Constitution Center (NCC)\u2014a museum dedicated to the U.S. Constitution that opened in 2003\u2014is the largest in the institution\u2019s history. The funding will support the launch of two new galleries: one focused on America\u2019s founding principles and another exploring the separation of powers and federalism, scheduled to open in February and May of next year, respectively.<\/p>\n

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<\/a> at a Sotheby\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n

At the time, Griffin stated the document would \u201cbe available for all Americans and visitors to view and appreciate in our museums and other public spaces.\u201d He later loaned it to the Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art in Bentonville, Ark., where it was exhibited in 2022.<\/p>\n

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The United States Constitution is displayed at the offices of Sotheby\u2019s on Sept. 17, 2021. ED JONES\/AFP via Getty Images<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

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\u2014amendments that would later become the U.S. Bill of Rights. Griffin reportedly purchased the document for $1.5 million<\/a> at a Sotheby\u2019s auction held shortly after his acquisition of the Constitution, and it was also previously loaned to the Crystal Bridges Museum of Art.<\/p>\n

Both documents will be on public display at the NCC through 2026. In recognition of Griffin\u2019s gift, the institution will name its central welcoming space the Kenneth C. Griffin Great Hall. \u201cAll of us at the National Constitution Center are honored to tell the story of America\u2019s founding in such a meaningful way thanks to the generosity of Ken Griffin,\u201d said Jeffrey Rosen<\/a>, CEO and president of the nonprofit, adding that its new galleries \u201cwill engage and inspire millions.\u201d<\/p>\n

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This isn\u2019t the first time Griffin\u2014who has donated more than $2 billion to philanthropic causes\u2014has put his fortune toward patriotic initiatives. He previously gave $30 million to a Texas museum<\/a> honoring recipients of the U.S. Armed Forces\u2019 Medal of Honor, funded the civic education video series The Constitution EXPLAINED<\/em>, 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.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n

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