Ken Griffin

Ken Griffin, the CEO of hedge fund Citadel, reveals that his first love in art was a French Impressionist sculpture by Edgar Degas, which he lost the chance to acquire in 1999. Over the past two decades, Griffin has become one of the world's most determined and affluent art collectors. His impressive collection includes valuable Abstract Expressionist paintings, rare historical documents, as well as a Madonna and Child believed to be by Leonardo da Vinci.

In recent years, Griffin has started to be more open about his collection activities, lending his valuable works to museums for educational purposes and to satisfy public interest. This year, Griffin loaned his da Vinci painting to the Metropolitan Museum of Art, adding to the U.S. display of the Renaissance master's paintings. The billionaire has also increased his support for art institutions in Florida since moving from Chicago to Miami in 2022.

Griffin recently displayed 10 Jean-Michel Basquiat works from his collection at the Pérez Art Museum in Miami. Griffin plans to showcase a Richard Serra sculpture he recently acquired in a park adjacent to the museum by 2027. Griffin emphasizes that he places significant importance on the aesthetic appeal of a work, stating, "An institution has a different criteria to collect than I do as a private individual.

I place a huge importance on the aesthetic appeal of a work. Does this work visually make me happy?"