Billionaire US investor Ken Griffin accuses Trump White House of ‘enriching’ itself | Trump administration
Billionaire investor Ken Griffin has accused Donald Trump’s administration of “enriching” his families and criticized its interference in US businesses as “distasteful”.
Griffin, who is the chief executive of hedge fund Citadel and a major Republican donor, chastised the Trump administration, saying it “definitely made missteps in choosing decisions or directions that were very, very rewarding for the families of members of the administration.”
“It calls into question: is the public interest being served? he declared during a conference organized Tuesday in Florida by the Wall Street Journal.
Griffin is one of Trump’s most vocal critics on Wall Street, although this is the first time he has commented on how the president’s family appears to have profited financially from his proximity to the White House.
Trump’s eldest sons, Don Jr and Eric, have benefited from the White House’s crypto-friendly policies and have made a series of deals with major companies since their father’s re-election. They have previously insisted there is a “huge wall” between their income and their father’s position.
Griffin added that most business executives he was friends with “find it incredibly distasteful” when “the U.S. government begins to engage in American affairs in a way that smacks of favoritism.”
“Most CEOs just don’t want to find themselves having to, one way or another, succumb to one administration after another to successfully run their business,” he said.
Griffin is a longtime Republican donor, giving millions of dollars to conservative groups during the 2024 election cycle. He did not fund Trump’s re-election campaign, but after Trump’s victory he gave $1 million to the president’s inaugural committee.
He highlighted specific Trump policies he supported at the Florida conference, including the president’s focus on securing the U.S. border with Mexico and the nomination of Kevin Warsh to chair the Federal Reserve last week.
The billionaire also suggested he might run for office himself and said: “In the future of my life, I would like to get involved in public service. »
In response to Griffin’s comments, White House spokesperson Kush Desai told the Financial Times: “The only special interest guiding the Trump administration’s decision-making is the best interests of the American people.
“The fact that major stock indexes have reached multiple all-time highs, real wages have increased and inflation has calmed since President Trump took office is proof that this administration is delivering on the expectations of every American. »
