Ken Griffin, CEO of Citadel, has committed a total of $3 billion to Carnegie Mellon University, establishing this as the largest individual gift ever made in higher education. The largest portion, $2 billion, will fund the creation of a new campus in Miami, exceeding the previous record of a $2 billion donation by Nike co-founders Phil Knight and Penny Knight to Oregon Health & Science University in 2025. Griffin, whose wealth is valued at $57.5 billion, will also take a seat on Carnegie Mellon’s board of trustees.
The Miami campus, scheduled to open in 2028, will cover 35 acres in Wynwood and accommodate over 3,500 students at full capacity. Unlike conventional academic programs, the curriculum will emphasize addressing major societal issues, including climate resilience and national security. This marks Griffin’s single largest philanthropic effort to date, following earlier contributions of $300 million to Harvard in 2023 and $125 million to the University of Chicago in 2017.
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Since moving Citadel’s headquarters to Miami in 2022, Griffin has positioned himself as a key advocate for Florida’s business-friendly policies, frequently highlighting the state’s low tax rates and economic expansion. The new campus construction is set to begin in 2027, and Griffin has previously supported South Florida institutions with $50 million each for the University of Miami’s cancer center, Baptist Health Foundation’s neuroscience institute, and Success Academy charter schools.
Griffin has openly criticized the leadership of certain elite universities, including Harvard, over concerns related to campus discussions. In 2024, he temporarily halted donations to Harvard after expressing dissatisfaction with the university’s response to antisemitism allegations. The new Carnegie Mellon campus embodies his belief that higher education should focus on practical solutions rather than ideological conflicts.