Citadel founder pledges $3 billion to Carnegie Mellon, including $2 billion for Miami campus

Citadel founder Ken Griffin said on Wednesday that he will provide $3 billion to Carnegie Mellon University, of which $2 billion is designated for a new campus in Miami. The university described the contribution as the largest individual gift in higher-education history, surpassing the previous $2 billion donation made by Nike co-founder Phil Knight and his wife to Oregon Health & Science University in 2025.

Griffin, whose net worth is estimated at $57.5 billion, will also join Carnegie Mellon’s board of trustees. > "The opportunity to bring Carnegie Mellon to Miami places our city at the heart of humanistic and scientific advancement and amplifies the University's international reach and impact," Griffin said in a release. > "CMU Miami will cultivate the talent, knowledge, and expertise to launch new enterprises, contribute to Miami's economy and community, and advance the prosperity of our nation."

The Miami campus is planned for a 35-acre site in Wynwood and is expected to begin construction in 2027, with enrollment targeted for 2028 and capacity for more than 3,500 students. Academic programs will focus on societal challenges such as climate resilience and national security rather than traditional majors.

Griffin, who moved Citadel’s headquarters to Miami in 2022, has previously donated $300 million to Harvard University and $125 million to the University of Chicago. In recent years he has also given $50 million each to the University of Miami’s cancer center, the Baptist Health Foundation’s neuroscience institute, and the Success Academy charter school network.

He has previously criticized elite universities over perceived ideological bias, stating that he paused donations to Harvard in response to the school's handling of antisemitism concerns.