Key Takeaways
- • Ken Griffin acquires second original Constitution printing for $43.2 million at Sotheby's auction in November 2025, setting a world auction record for any book, manuscript, historical document, or printed text.
- • Only two copies of the first printing remain in private hands, with Griffin now owning one of these exceedingly rare 1787 documents originally produced for Constitutional Convention delegates—one of just 13 known copies in existence.
- • Griffin outbid ConstitutionDAO cryptocurrency group, which had crowdfunded over $46 million but could not match Griffin's final offer; the document had last sold at auction in 1988 for $165,000, representing a 262× appreciation.
- • Citadel CEO commits to public access, pledging to loan the Constitution to the Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art in Bentonville, Arkansas, stating the document will be available for all Americans to view in museums and public spaces.
- • Acquisition reflects Griffin's broader collecting strategy, demonstrating significant capital deployment toward high-value historical and cultural assets alongside his $43 billion hedge fund investment operations.
Summary
Billionaire hedge fund manager Kenneth Griffin, founder and CEO of Citadel, acquired a first-edition printing of the U.S. Constitution for $43.2 million at a Sotheby's auction in November 2025, establishing a new world record for any book, manuscript, historical document, or printed text. The acquisition culminated an eight-minute bidding battle conducted via telephone, according to Reuters and confirmed by multiple financial news outlets including CNBC and Sotheby's.
The document is one of only 13 known copies of the official printing produced for delegates to the Constitutional Convention and submission to the Continental Congress, with particular rarity given that only two copies of this first printing remain in private hands. The specific copy acquired by Griffin was previously owned by New York real estate heiress Dorothy Goldman, who purchased it for $165,000 in 1988—making Griffin's purchase price a 262-fold increase over three decades. The previous auction record for this document stood at that 1988 sale price.
Griffin's acquisition defeated a significant competitor in ConstitutionDAO, a cryptocurrency-focused group that had successfully crowdfunded over $46 million in an attempt to purchase the Constitution and place it in public trust. Despite their substantial war chest, the decentralized autonomous organization could not match Griffin's final bid, and announced the loss via Twitter.
Consistent with his stated commitment to public access, Griffin announced plans to loan the Constitution to the Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art in Bentonville, Arkansas, where it will be displayed alongside other American historical artifacts. In his statement, Griffin emphasized that "The U.S. Constitution is a sacred document that enshrines the rights of every American and all those who aspire to be," and committed to ensuring the document's availability for viewing in museums and public spaces. Additionally, Griffin disclosed plans to loan a previously undisclosed acquisition: a rare first separate printing of 17 proposed constitutional amendments, further expanding public access to founding-era constitutional documents.
The acquisition underscores Griffin's dual positioning as both a major institutional investor managing substantial capital across global markets and a significant collector of high-value historical and cultural assets, with the Constitution purchase adding to his broader art and rare manuscript portfolio.
The document is one of only 13 known copies of the official printing produced for delegates to the Constitutional Convention and submission to the Continental Congress, with particular rarity given that only two copies of this first printing remain in private hands. The specific copy acquired by Griffin was previously owned by New York real estate heiress Dorothy Goldman, who purchased it for $165,000 in 1988—making Griffin's purchase price a 262-fold increase over three decades. The previous auction record for this document stood at that 1988 sale price.
Griffin's acquisition defeated a significant competitor in ConstitutionDAO, a cryptocurrency-focused group that had successfully crowdfunded over $46 million in an attempt to purchase the Constitution and place it in public trust. Despite their substantial war chest, the decentralized autonomous organization could not match Griffin's final bid, and announced the loss via Twitter.
Consistent with his stated commitment to public access, Griffin announced plans to loan the Constitution to the Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art in Bentonville, Arkansas, where it will be displayed alongside other American historical artifacts. In his statement, Griffin emphasized that "The U.S. Constitution is a sacred document that enshrines the rights of every American and all those who aspire to be," and committed to ensuring the document's availability for viewing in museums and public spaces. Additionally, Griffin disclosed plans to loan a previously undisclosed acquisition: a rare first separate printing of 17 proposed constitutional amendments, further expanding public access to founding-era constitutional documents.
The acquisition underscores Griffin's dual positioning as both a major institutional investor managing substantial capital across global markets and a significant collector of high-value historical and cultural assets, with the Constitution purchase adding to his broader art and rare manuscript portfolio.
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