Key Takeaways
- • Billionaires Stephen Ross (Related Companies) and Ken Griffin (Citadel) each committed $5 million to fund a $10 million campaign called "Ambition Accelerated," launched February 2, 2026, to attract C-suite executives, founders, and investment capital to South Florida.
- • The initiative is backed by the Florida Council of 100 and explicitly targets the relocation of business leaders and high-wage jobs by positioning South Florida as a founder-friendly ecosystem with competitive tax advantages and regulatory environment.
- • The campaign positions South Florida as "the only place a founder can scale," leveraging Florida's lower tax burden and business-friendly policies as core messaging to compete for relocating corporate headquarters and executive talent.
- • Both Ross and Griffin have personally demonstrated commitment to South Florida—Griffin relocated Citadel's headquarters to Miami, while Ross maintains substantial real estate and business interests in the region—lending credibility to the recruitment message.
Summary
Stephen Ross and Ken Griffin, two of the nation's most prominent billionaires, have jointly bankrolled a $10 million national campaign designed to accelerate business relocation and executive recruitment to South Florida. The initiative, branded "Ambition Accelerated," was launched on February 2, 2026, with each investor contributing $5 million. The campaign is administered through the Florida Council of 100, a coalition of established business leaders.
The strategic positioning of the campaign centers on South Florida's competitive advantages for founders and corporate leaders: lower state income taxes, lighter regulatory burden, and an emerging ecosystem supportive of business scaling. Marketing messaging emphasizes that South Florida represents "the only place a founder can scale," directly targeting C-suite executives, founders, investors, companies seeking capital relocation, and high-wage employment opportunities. The campaign aims to attract not just individual leaders but also entire corporate functions and capital deployment.
The involvement of Ross and Griffin carries particular weight given their demonstrated personal commitments to South Florida. Griffin relocated Citadel, one of the world's largest hedge funds, to Miami, signaling institutional confidence in the region. Ross, through Related Companies, maintains substantial real estate and development holdings throughout South Florida, positioning him as both a stakeholder and beneficiary of regional economic growth. Their joint backing signals to other institutional investors and corporate decision-makers that South Florida represents a serious alternative to traditional financial centers.
The $10 million commitment reflects a coordinated effort to position South Florida as a competitive destination during a period of corporate relocation and executive mobility. By leveraging the Florida Council of 100's existing network and credibility, the campaign targets both individual decision-makers and institutional capital flows, directly competing for market share against established financial hubs.
The strategic positioning of the campaign centers on South Florida's competitive advantages for founders and corporate leaders: lower state income taxes, lighter regulatory burden, and an emerging ecosystem supportive of business scaling. Marketing messaging emphasizes that South Florida represents "the only place a founder can scale," directly targeting C-suite executives, founders, investors, companies seeking capital relocation, and high-wage employment opportunities. The campaign aims to attract not just individual leaders but also entire corporate functions and capital deployment.
The involvement of Ross and Griffin carries particular weight given their demonstrated personal commitments to South Florida. Griffin relocated Citadel, one of the world's largest hedge funds, to Miami, signaling institutional confidence in the region. Ross, through Related Companies, maintains substantial real estate and development holdings throughout South Florida, positioning him as both a stakeholder and beneficiary of regional economic growth. Their joint backing signals to other institutional investors and corporate decision-makers that South Florida represents a serious alternative to traditional financial centers.
The $10 million commitment reflects a coordinated effort to position South Florida as a competitive destination during a period of corporate relocation and executive mobility. By leveraging the Florida Council of 100's existing network and credibility, the campaign targets both individual decision-makers and institutional capital flows, directly competing for market share against established financial hubs.
Go deeper than the headline
Research every firm in this story, track the ones that matter and get the daily briefing — free for 7 days.