Kenneth C. Griffin, the founder of the investment firm Citadel, is renowned not only for his financial acumen but also for his impressive art collection, which includes some of the most valuable and iconic pieces of modern and contemporary art. Before his most recent historic purchase, he already owned masterpieces in the 8 figures as well as an original copy of the US Constitution, which he purchased for $43 Million! Read on to learn about his journey into art collecting as well as discover the publicly known masterpieces in his collection.

NETWORTH: $37.6 BILLION

THE JOURNEY

Kenneth C. Griffin's journey into art collecting began somewhat serendipitously in 1999. While on a work trip to New York, Griffin stumbled into Sotheby's auction house and was captivated by one of Edgar Degas's sculptures of ballet dancers. After a 40-minute conversation with Sotheby's CEO Dede Brooks, Griffin decided to bid on the sculpture at an upcoming auction. Although he didn't win that piece, the experience ignited his interest in art collecting.

Soon after, Griffin made his first significant art purchase:

Edgar Degas, "Dancers in Green" and a rumored Monet water lilies painting, the public has never seen.

The early acquisitions, both estimated to be in the mid-eight figures, positioned Griffin as a serious collector of Impressionist art.

Over the next few years, Griffin's collection expanded rapidly, encompassing works from various periods and styles. Some notable early additions included:

Paul Cézanne's "Curtain, Jug and Fruit Bowl" (ca. 1893), purchased in 2004 for $60 million

Jasper Johns' "False Start" (1959), acquired from David Geffen in 2006 for $80 million

As his passion for art grew, Griffin began to focus more on modern and contemporary works. He made several high-profile purchases, including:

Willem de Kooning's "Interchange" (1955)

Jackson Pollock's "Number 17A" (1948)

both bought from David Geffen in 2015 for a combined $500 million

Jean-Michel Basquiat's "Boy and Dog in a Johnnypump" (1982), purchased in 2020 for $100 million

Griffin's collection which includes works by artists such as Mark Rothko, Roy Lichtenstein, Robert Ryman, Peter Doig, and Andy Warhol is now joined by his latest acquisition, “Apex” His approach to collecting has been characterized by bold moves and record-breaking purchases, often acquiring works privately or through major auction houses.

Throughout his collecting journey, Griffin has shown a commitment to sharing his art with the public. He has loaned many pieces to museums, particularly the Art Institute of Chicago, where he served as a trustee. More recently, he has moved several major works to the Norton Museum of Art in West Palm Beach, Florida, following his relocation to Miami.

Griffin's evolution as a collector reflects both his personal taste and his dedication to preserving significant artworks for future generations. His collection, valued at over $1 billion, has established him as one of the most important art collectors of his generation.

Here is an in-depth look at his notable artworks, including their year, provenance (when available), and price(where available)s:

PAUL CÉZANNE, "CURTAIN, JUG AND FRUIT BOWL" (CA. 1893)

Provenance: Purchased in 2004

Price: $60 million

Details:This painting, "Curtain, jug and fruit bowl" (c.1893-1894), exemplifies Cézanne's skill in capturing everyday objects with a unique perspective and depth. Selling for $60.5 million in 1999, well above Sotheby's estimated range, it remains the record price for a Cézanne piece at auction even twenty years later. Despite this, its value has not diminished over time.

JASPER JOHNS, "FALSE START" (1959)

Provenance: Acquired from David Geffen in 2006

Price: $80 million

Details: ""False Start" by Johns is renowned for its vibrant colors and abstract forms, with bold brushstrokes and a lack of predetermined composition. The painting is more about color itself, with stenciled labels drawing attention to the contradictions in color usage. Despite initial critiques of the labeling device being uninteresting, it has sparked extensive commentary. Originally purchased by S. I. Newhouse for $17 million in 1988, it set a record at auction.

JACKSON POLLOCK, "NUMBER 17A" (1948)

Provenance: Acquired from David Geffen in 2015

Price: $200 million

Details: "Number 17A" is an oil painting on fiberboard that showcases Jackson Pollock's drip painting technique, created a year after he introduced this innovative method. The painting features a complex color vortex due to the abundance of paint, making it difficult to distinguish between the top and bottom layers. Splashes of yellow, blue, and black soften the image, while three white brushstrokes draw the viewer's attention diagonally across the piece.

This artwork from 1948 gained significant attention when it was featured in a 1949 Life magazine article, which contributed to Pollock's rise to fame. The article, published in August 1949, posed the question: "Jackson Pollock: Is he the greatest living painter in the United States?" The tone of the text alternated between mockery and admiration.

WILLIAM DE KOONING “INTERCHANGE (1955)

Image Source: Willam de kooning Foundation

Provenance: Acquired from David Geffen in 2015.

Price: $300 Million

Details: Interchange, also known as Interchanged, is a significant abstract expressionist painting completed in 1955. The work features de Kooning's characteristic gestural brushstrokes and abstract forms, with suggestions of a seated female figure emerging from a chaotic urban landscape.

"Interchange" marked an important shift in de Kooning's style, incorporating quicker, more intuitive brushwork influenced by his collaboration with Franz Kline. This painting represents a transition from de Kooning's earlier figurative "Woman" series towards more abstract urban-inspired works.

The painting has gained tremendous value over time. Originally sold for $4,000 in 1955, "Interchange" made headlines in 2015 when it was purchased by hedge fund manager Kenneth C. Griffin for $300 million. This sale briefly made it the most expensive painting ever sold at the time.

"Interchange" is significant not only for its artistic merits but also for its place in art history. It represents a pivotal moment when American abstract expressionism was gaining international recognition and commercial success. The painting's record-breaking sale price reflects both its artistic importance and its status as a blue-chip investment in the art market.

JEAN-MICHEL BASQUIAT, "BOY AND DOG IN A JOHNNYPUMP" (1982)

Provenance: formerly owned by newsprint magnate Peter Brant, a major Basquiat collector, who displayed the piece at his private museum in Manhattan last year.

Price: $100 million

Details: This dynamic and expressive artwork stands as one of Basquiat's most acclaimed pieces, showcasing his bold and energetic style during his Modena period. The result of his artistic exploration in Modena led to a series of eight monumental masterpieces created with acrylic, spray paint, and oil stick, although they were never exhibited. This painting exemplifies Basquiat's fusion of neo-expressionism and primitivism, incorporating American and Italian motifs such as a Roman Venus torso and a New York fire hydrant, alongside whimsical, spiritual, and existential elements like angels, devils, and animals.

The Modena series is characterized by a focused approach, with fewer words and symbols compared to Basquiat's later works, and a more painterly style referencing Abstract Expressionism. Each painting features a central figure, with five of them depicting an ominous black skeletal figure reaching out towards the viewer, arms raised in a gesture that can be interpreted as either victorious or despairing.

BARNETT NEWMAN, "URIEL" (1955)

Provenance: The work was previously in the collection of Alan Power, the son of E.J. Power, perhaps the first serious contemporary collector in London.

Acquired in 2021

Price: $84.2 million

Details: "Uriel" is a monumental artwork that embodies Newman's minimalist style, known for its striking use of color and scale. Measuring eight feet by 18 feet, this piece holds a significant place in Newman's body of work as it was created during what he described as his "blackest years" following the death of his friend Jackson Pollock in 1956 and a near-fatal heart attack in 1957. Artist Jim Long argues in a detailed essay in the Brooklyn Rail that "Uriel" may be considered Newman's masterpiece.

MARK ROTHKO, "NO. 2 (BLUE, RED AND GREEN)" (1953)

Provenance: In 2000, the painting was auctioned at Sotheby’s, attracting keen interest from two buyers. Ultimately, the painting was purchased by Robert Mnuchin, the chairman of the Manhattan gallery C&M Arts, for $11 million, surpassing the estimated price of $8 million to $10 million. Following the sale, Mr. Mnuchin mentioned that he acquired the painting for a "major American collection," without providing further details

Price: $11 million (approximately $30 million adjusted for inflation)

Details: This artwork exemplifies Rothko's signature color field technique, where expansive areas of color envelop the viewer in a captivating visual display. Mark Rothko's iconic piece, "No. 2 (Blue, Red and Green)," painted in 1953, presents a mesmerizing abstract composition featuring soft hues of yellow, vivid blue, green, and crimson.

ROY LICHTENSTEIN,"OHHH…ALRIGHT…" (1964)

Provenance: Originating at the Leo Castelli Gallery in New York, the artwork made its way to various collectors including E.J. Power in London, Ileana Sonnabend in Paris, and a private collection in London before being acquired by Steve Martin for his residence in Los Angeles. It later appeared at Acquavella Galleries, Inc., in New York, and was eventually sold to Ken Griffin at Christie's.

Price: $42.6 million

Details: Lichtenstein's work is a quintessential example of pop art, celebrated for its comic strip style and vibrant colors. Painted in 1964, Roy Lichtenstein's "Ohhh...Alright" epitomizes the bold comic aesthetics of his most acclaimed artistic period. The piece showcases Lichtenstein's talent for distilling emotional moments into striking visual gestures. Despite its appearance of effortless production, "Ohhh...Alright" is the result of a meticulous and lengthy process. Utilizing the Ben Day process to standardize his marks into uniform units, Lichtenstein eliminates any sense of depth, emphasizing the artificiality of the figurative image. He diffuses the woman's face with small dots, outlined in solid black contours, harmonizing her image with the flat plane on which it is depicted.

PETER DOIG, "RED HOUSE" (1995–1996)

Provenance: Purchased at Phillips in 2017

Price: $21 million

Details: Doig painted this piece shortly after his nomination for the Turner Prize in 1994. It was featured in his landmark 1998 exhibition "Blizzard Seventy Seven" at the Kunsthalle Kiel and Kunsthalle Nürnberg in Germany, as well as the Whitechapel Gallery in London. “It has architecture, landscape, it has memories of Canada, and it comes from a pivotal period.” Created in the mid-'90s, this work marks a transition in Doig's style from the thick impasto of his earlier pieces to more delicate compositions.

EDGAR DEGAS, "DANCERS IN GREEN"

Provenance: Early acquisition

Price:Mid-eight figures (estimated)

Details: Edgar Degas' "Dancer in Green" created in 1879, is a notable work in the Impressionist style. Degas found ballet captivating and often featured it in his artworks. In this painting, a group of dancers is shown mid-performance, observed from an upper side box. One girl in green is fully depicted, spinning swiftly, while the other dancers are partially cropped, leaving the rest to the viewer's imagination. In the background, ballerinas in orange costumes await their turn against a scenic backdrop. Degas' use of cropped and off-centre composition was influenced by photography and Japanese prints, aiming to convey the transient essence of reality. He skillfully captures the fleeting movements with quick pastel strokes in this artwork.

ANDY WARHOL, "ORANGE MARILYN" (1964)

Provenance: The piece has a notable provenance, having been owned by Leon Kraushar before becoming part of the renowned Stroher collection in Germany.

Price: Around $200 million

Details: Andy Warhol's "Orange Marilyn" made headlines in 1998 when it sold at Sotheby's for $17.3 million. This portrait of Marilyn Monroe is one of Warhol's most iconic works, embodying his fascination with celebrity culture and mass media. For a 1964 series of 40-by-40-inch portraits of Monroe, Warhol used a bold, saturated palette—one familiar to him from his background as a fashion illustrator—to color the hair, eyelids, and lips of the star, as well as the field around her floating, disembodied face. "Orange Marilyn" is a standout piece from this series.

GRIFFIN'S IMPACT

ON THE ART WORLD

Griffin's collection, valued at over $1 billion, has been displayed at prestigious institutions like the Art Institute of Chicago, where he has served as a trustee, and the Norton Museum of Art in West Palm Beach, Florida. His contributions to the art world reflect his deep commitment to cultural philanthropy and his passion for preserving and sharing significant artworks.

In 2018, Griffin donated $20 million to the Norton Museum, underscoring his dedication to supporting arts and culture. His collection's relocation to the Norton Museum in 2022 marked a significant shift, bringing some of the world's most valuable artworks to a new audience in Florida.

Griffin's acquisitions and donations have had a substantial impact on the art market and public access to masterpieces. His willingness to pay record prices for artworks has helped set new benchmarks in the industry.

As Griffin continues to expand and refine his collection, his influence in the art world is likely to grow. His move to Florida may shift some focus of the art world to the Sunshine State, potentially influencing the dynamics of the American art scene

Kenneth C. Griffin's art collection is a testament to his discerning taste and commitment to cultural enrichment. His acquisitions of iconic artworks not only reflect his personal passion but also contribute significantly to the preservation and appreciation of art for future generations.

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COLLECTORS PROFILE: KEN GRIFFIN