Citadel CEO and billionaire collector Ken Griffin has announced plans to lend his copy of the U.S. Constitution to the National Constitution Center (NCC) for public display through 2026. The loan accompanies a $15 million gift from Griffin to the NCC, the single largest donation in the history of the Philadelphia organization.
The money will support the creation of a new gallery focused on America’s founding principles and another centered around the separation of governmental power and federalism, per the NCC announcement. Both galleries are slated to open in 2026, around the 250th anniversary of America’s founding.
Griffin, a philanthropist who regularly figures on the ARTnews Top 200 Collectors list, has a prodigious modern and contemporary art collection that includes artworks by Willem de Kooning, Jasper Johns, Jackson Pollock, and Paul Cézanne.
In 2021, Griffin spent $43.2 million on a rare copy of the U.S. Constitution, outbidding ConstitutionDAO, a coalition of some 17,000 people, who had collectively promised more than $40 million to purchase it. The document is one of 14 copies printed for delegates who participated in the Constitutional Convention, and was the model for subsequent printings of the final text of the Constitution.
Griffin explained in a statement at the time that he intended to make the document “available for all Americans and visitors to view and appreciate in our museums and other public spaces.” Additionally, he will loan a rare first printing of the 17 proposed constitutional amendments passed in 1789 by the House of Representatives, ten of which were ultimately ratified as the Bill of Rights.
“All of us at the National Constitution Center are honored to tell the story of America’s founding in such a meaningful way thanks to the generosity of Ken Griffin,” said Jeffrey Rosen, National Constitution Center president and CEO, in a statement. “Our new galleries on America’s founding principles, featuring rare original printings of the Constitution and the Bill of Rights, will engage and inspire millions as we commemorate the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence and look ahead to the 250th anniversary of the Constitution.”
In recognition of these loans, the National Constitution Center has planned to rename its central welcoming and convening space the Kenneth C. Griffin Great Hall.
“The remarkable prosperity of America over the past 250 years is a testament to the genius of the republic, as enshrined in our Constitution. The 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,” Griffin explained. “I am proud to partner with the National Constitution Center to share these sacred documents with all Americans.”
The center is also renovating its main exhibition, titled “The Story of We the People,” for the first time since its 2003 opening. Construction is expected to begin next month, with a set date for completion of 2026.
