On Wednesday, Oct. 19, Kenneth C. Griffin, founder of the global alternative investment firm Citadel, received Philanthropy Roundtable’s prestigious 2022 Simon-DeVos Prize for Philanthropic Leadership, which honors a living philanthropist who has shown exemplary leadership through his or her charitable giving. The Prize presentation at the Roundtable’s Annual Meeting included representatives from the William E. Simon Foundation and the DeVos Family Foundation, who sponsor the annual Prize, as well as a keynote conversation between Griffin and Eva Moskowitz, CEO and founder of Success Academy, a network of charter schools across New York. The Roundtable premiered a video at the event, highlighting Griffin’s data-driven, action-oriented approach to philanthropy – and featuring some of the causes he has generously supported.
The video focused on Griffin’s commitment to improving education, strengthening communities in Miami, Chicago and elsewhere and bolstering the nation’s response during the COVID-19 pandemic. Those efforts included bringing home hundreds of Americans who were trapped in Wuhan, China at the height of the pandemic … and getting safe, effective vaccines to market in record time.
Mike Pompeo, the 70th secretary of state, said the impact of Griffin’s philanthropy during COVID-19 couldn’t be overstated.
“Ken’s work to help us focus [and] connect with scientists doing truly cutting-edge work shortened the time barrier to bring these vaccines to market and saved millions of lives and billions of dollars, which, in turn, saved countless millions more lives,” he said.
Eva Moskowitz, who has worked with Griffin to increase access to high-quality education for students, echoed the sentiment that Griffin’s contributions to society have been significant.
“Our country has been the beneficiary of Ken’s unwavering commitment to opportunity and unwavering commitment to quality public education,” she said.
The video also featured interviews with Miami Mayor Francis Suarez, University of Chicago Crime Lab Executive Director Roseanna Ander and a Success Academy parent and assistant principal, Kamptary Williams. Each spoke about the impact of Griffin’s philanthropy and why he is deserving of the Simon-DeVos Prize, which honors influential philanthropists whose work has advanced the principles of personal responsibility, resourcefulness, volunteerism, scholarship, individual freedom, faith in God and helping people help themselves.
To learn more about Griffin’s philanthropy, please read “2022 Simon-DeVos Prize Winner Ken Griffin Delivers ‘Real Impact’ Through Philanthropy.”
Philanthropy Roundtable Highlights Ken Griffin’s Philanthropic Achievements in New Video
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