Key Takeaways
- • Ken Griffin, founder and CEO of Citadel, is among 10 people nominated for a newly created $2 million non-voting membership category at Coral Gables' Riviera Country Club, according to the Miami Herald, citing The Real Deal.
- • The non-voting membership grants full golf privileges and bypasses the club's long waiting list; a regular golf membership costs $175,000.
- • The club's board is expected to vote on the nominations later this month.
- • Griffin was nominated by members Sherill and Mary Ann Hudson and Nathan and Victoria Zeder.
- • The membership push reflects broader South Florida private-club demand from newly arrived ultra-wealthy residents, with Griffin's $61 billion fortune underpinning his real estate footprint in the region.
Summary
Ken Griffin, founder and CEO of Citadel, may soon join Coral Gables' Riviera Country Club, where a newly created membership category carries a $2 million price tag. According to the Miami Herald, citing reporting by The Real Deal, Griffin is among a select group of 10 people nominated for the memberships, which provide full golf privileges and, more importantly, allow members to bypass the club's long waiting list. The club's board is expected to vote on the nominations later this month.
The non-voting category was created in October. Members receive full golf privileges but no voting rights at the club. By comparison, an existing golf membership costs $175,000. The Real Deal reported that Griffin was nominated by members Sherill and Mary Ann Hudson and Nathan and Victoria Zeder. Nathan Zeder, a South Florida real estate broker and the club's immediate past president, declined to comment. The Riviera Country Club, located at 1155 Blue Rd., is among the institutions attracting the newly arrived ultra-wealthy, though wealth alone does not guarantee admission.
If approved, Griffin would gain access to the club's 18-hole course, eight tennis clay courts, two swimming pools, a two-story fitness and wellness center, an expansive clubhouse, the Grille Room restaurant, dining terraces, and private event spaces including a ballroom. The article notes that other exclusive clubs maintain stricter standards. At Indian Creek Country Club, where Jeff Bezos has reportedly sought membership, a single dissenting member can reportedly block an applicant, and the club accepts only about 300 members with no waiting list.
Griffin's $61 billion fortune has made him one of the world's richest people, and he has been a prominent investor in South Florida's growth as a destination for billionaires. He has spent billions assembling waterfront properties in Miami, Miami Beach and Palm Beach. In September, he paid $1.1 billion for the Mana Wynwood Convention Center, where Carnegie Mellon University plans to open a satellite campus. He is also building a new headquarters tower on the Brickell waterfront for Citadel and Citadel Securities, which relocated from Chicago to Miami in 2022.
The non-voting category was created in October. Members receive full golf privileges but no voting rights at the club. By comparison, an existing golf membership costs $175,000. The Real Deal reported that Griffin was nominated by members Sherill and Mary Ann Hudson and Nathan and Victoria Zeder. Nathan Zeder, a South Florida real estate broker and the club's immediate past president, declined to comment. The Riviera Country Club, located at 1155 Blue Rd., is among the institutions attracting the newly arrived ultra-wealthy, though wealth alone does not guarantee admission.
If approved, Griffin would gain access to the club's 18-hole course, eight tennis clay courts, two swimming pools, a two-story fitness and wellness center, an expansive clubhouse, the Grille Room restaurant, dining terraces, and private event spaces including a ballroom. The article notes that other exclusive clubs maintain stricter standards. At Indian Creek Country Club, where Jeff Bezos has reportedly sought membership, a single dissenting member can reportedly block an applicant, and the club accepts only about 300 members with no waiting list.
Griffin's $61 billion fortune has made him one of the world's richest people, and he has been a prominent investor in South Florida's growth as a destination for billionaires. He has spent billions assembling waterfront properties in Miami, Miami Beach and Palm Beach. In September, he paid $1.1 billion for the Mana Wynwood Convention Center, where Carnegie Mellon University plans to open a satellite campus. He is also building a new headquarters tower on the Brickell waterfront for Citadel and Citadel Securities, which relocated from Chicago to Miami in 2022.
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