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Recent Miami Transplant Billionaire Ken Griffin Gives $20 Million to Miami-Dade College, Tells DeSantis He Might Not Be That Into Him

The billionaire founder of the hedge fund Citadel, who is reportedly worth $35 billion, was the wealthiest person in Illinois—then he moved himself and his company to Miami in 2022, reportedly to escape crime in Chicago. 

These days, he’s scoring headlines for his educational donations: $20 million to Miami-Dade College and $300 million to his alma mater, Harvard. 

“It’s about how we make America’s schools work better for our students and our country,” Griffin said, “whether it’s the Success Academy in New York, which has done a tremendous job in K-12 education; or, our great universities in the northeast; or schools such as Miami Dade, which are such a huge, huge first-generation opportunity. These are all really important institutions.”  

“Every great city is anchored by its universities. It’s that simple,” Griffin said.  

Griffin is one of the country’s most powerful Republican donors, but his intentions and loyalties remain murky. While he “has made clear that he wants to move on from former President Donald J. Trump,” according to The New York Times and other sources, he is also less than thrilled about Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’s waffling and less-than-enthusiastic stance on the U.S. support of Ukraine—and the six-week abortion ban supported and signed by DeSantis. The two have met in the last two weeks and reportedly discussed Griffin’s concerns. 

This reporting comes as some deep-pocketed GOP donors are said to be cooling on DeSantis, given worries about the governor calling the war in Ukraine “a territorial dispute,” as well as his extremist positions on book banning and abortion. 

DeSantis, who has not announced a run for the 2024 presidential election, trails the former President in hypothetical matchups. 

Photo courtesy of Citadel

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Drew Limsky

Drew Limsky

Editor-in-Chief

BIOGRAPHY

Drew Limsky joined Lifestyle Media Group in August 2020 as Editor-in-Chief of South Florida Business & Wealth. His first issue of SFBW, October 2020, heralded a reimagined structure, with new content categories and a slew of fresh visual themes. “As sort of a cross between Forbes and Robb Report, with a dash of GQ and Vogue,” Limsky says, “SFBW reflects South Florida’s increasingly sophisticated and dynamic business and cultural landscape.”

Limsky, an avid traveler, swimmer and film buff who holds a law degree and Ph.D. from New York University, likes to say, “I’m a doctor, but I can’t operate—except on your brand.” He wrote his dissertation on the nonfiction work of Joan Didion. Prior to that, Limsky received his B.A. in English, summa cum laude, from Emory University and earned his M.A. in literature at American University in connection with a Masters Scholar Award fellowship.

Limsky came to SFBW at the apex of a storied career in journalism and publishing that includes six previous lead editorial roles, including for some of the world’s best-known brands. He served as global editor-in-chief of Lexus magazine, founding editor-in-chief of custom lifestyle magazines for Cadillac and Holland America Line, and was the founding editor-in-chief of Modern Luxury Interiors South Florida. He also was the executive editor for B2B magazines for Acura and Honda Financial Services, and he served as travel editor for Conde Nast. Magazines under Limsky’s editorship have garnered more than 75 industry awards.

He has also written for many of the country’s top newspapers and magazines, including The New York Times, Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, Miami Herald, Boston Globe, USA Today, Worth, Robb Report, Afar, Time Out New York, National Geographic Traveler, Men’s Journal, Ritz-Carlton, Elite Traveler, Florida Design, Metropolis and Architectural Digest Mexico. His other clients have included Four Seasons, Acqualina Resort & Residences, Yahoo!, American Airlines, Wynn, Douglas Elliman and Corcoran. As an adjunct assistant professor, Limsky has taught journalism, film and creative writing at the City University of New York, Pace University, American University and other colleges.