Citadel CEO Ken Griffin will loan his rare first-edition copies of the U.S. Constitution and Bill of Rights to a Pennsylvania museum for public display ahead of American’s 250th anniversary.
The business tycoon will loan the “sacred documents” to the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia. He will also make a $15 million donation to the center.
“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 said in a statement.
Griffin purchased the copy of the Constitution at auction for an eye-watering $43.2 million in November 2021, according to Sotheby’s. The document is one of only 14 known original copies.
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Griffin will also be loaning his originally undisclosed copy of the Bill of Rights to the National Constitution Center.
There were originally only 14 copies made of the Bill of Rights, with 13 of those copies going to the original 13 states and one staying with the Federal Government, according to the National Constitution Center.
Since their creation, four of those copies have gone missing from Georgia, Maryland, New York and Pennsylvania.
Jeffrey Rosen, the National Constitution Center president and CEO, felt “honored and thankful” for Griffin’s generous donation that will aid in telling America’s story.
“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,” Rosen said.
The National Constitution Center also announced that they have begun a major renovation of the main exhibit, The Story of We the People, for the first time since its opening in 2003.
Griffin’s $15 million donation — the single largest donation in the history of the Constitution Center — will be used to create a new gallery that should open before America’s 250th anniversary.
The Center announced that construction on its two new galleries will begin in June 2025, with the Founding Gallery slated to open in February 2026 and the separation of power gallery slated to open in May 2026.
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