Billionaire Ken Griffin Gives $10 Million To Northwestern Medicine

CHICAGO — Hedge fund billionaire Ken Griffin has donated $10 million to Northwestern Medicine, his largest contribution to an area institution since he relocated his firm's headquarters from Chicago to Miami two years ago.

The donation established the Kenneth C. Griffin Esophageal Center, which focuses on advanced research and treatment for esophageal diseases and was officially renamed Wednesday.

It will incorporate an artificial intelligence and mathematics program, a clinical trials unit, a translational science core studies program and a treatment clinic, according to Northwestern Medicine.

Griffin, the founder and CEO of Citadel, said in a statement he was honored to support Northwestern's efforts to better understand and treat esophageal diseases.

“Through cutting-edge research, advanced therapies, and compassionate patient care, Northwestern Medicine makes a meaningful difference in the lives of individuals affected by esophageal conditions,” Griffin said. “The physicians and scientists at this center exemplify the commitment to excellence and innovation that defines Northwestern Medicine."

The center will target swallowing disorders, esophageal cancers, reflux disease and other esophageal conditions. Innovations from the ongoing research have already led to major paradigm shifts in the management of disorders such as achalasia, esophageal spasm, gastroesophageal reflux disease, Barrett’s esophagus, and eosinophilic esophagitis, according to representatives of the health system.

Ikuo Hirano, director of the center, said he was grateful to Griffin for giving the group a chance to operate at a higher level.

“Patients from around the world come to our center for evaluation and treatment of complex esophageal conditions, and we are an international destination for physician education,” Hirano said in a statement.

“We have pioneered many of the most modern diagnostic and therapeutic methods for both rare and common esophageal diseases and continue to be trailblazers on the leading-edge of research and advanced technologies," he said.

Griffin last year founded a civic engagement initiative called Griffin Catalyst to encompass his philanthropic efforts, focusing on education, science and medicine, upward mobility, freedom and democracy, enterprise and innovation and communities.

In June 2022, he announced the relocation of Citadel’s headquarters to Miami, citing concerns over Chicago’s rising crime rate and political climate.

"My colleagues, and I’m so grateful for this, were so invested in Chicago’s community, in the schools, in the political sphere, in helping to have a more economically vibrant community for all. To watch that undermined by the changing political landscape, and an agenda that was no longer about extraordinary schools or safe streets, that agenda was gone. To see that transformation happen before our very eyes was heartbreaking," Griffin said in a recent podcast interview.

"When you get to that moment where you say, 'We're moving to Miami,' I will tell you this, from the day after I moved here, I've never looked back," he said. "It is so great to be in a city that once again represents what I as an American aspire to, which is about a brighter tomorrow."

Prior to his firm's departure from Chicago, Griffin gave $125 million to the Museum of Science and Industry, which officially added him to its name last month.

The economics department at the University of Chicago and the modern wing at the Art Institute of Chicago also bear his name.

And during his last month as the richest man in Illinois, Griffin reportedly donated more than $130 million to 40 organizations in the Chicago area.

With a net worth of more than $37 billion, Griffin is the 41st wealthiest person in the world, according to Forbes, which reported he has donated $2.2 billion to philanthropic causes.