Chicago’s richest man is leaving Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s (D) city and taking his $22 billion company with him.
Ken Griffin, a hedge fund billionaire worth nearly $29 billion, announced he had moved from Democratic-led Illinois to Republican-led Florida.
Florida is also set to become the new home of Citadel Securities, a company valued at around $22 billion, according to a report.
While not stated in a letter to employees, Citadel officials reportedly said crime was a critical factor in the decision to move.
“If people aren’t safe here, they’re not going to live here,” he said in a recent interview. “I’ve had multiple colleagues mugged at gunpoint. I’ve had a colleague stabbed on the way to work, countless issues of burglary. I mean, that’s a really difficult backdrop with which to draw talent to your city from.”
The move will have a negative impact on the financial condition of Lightfoot’s Chicago, the report noted.
Griffin was the Windy City’s richest resident and the source of millions in donations to charities.
* Article from: The Washington Examiner
