Ken Griffin said he has stopped financially supporting the university, accusing elite institutions of creating “whiny snowflakes” instead of focusing on education

Ken Griffin said he has stopped financially supporting the university, accusing elite institutions of creating “whiny snowflakes” instead of focusing on education, per the Hill.

Griffin, the founder of Citadel with a net worth exceeding $30 billion, has contributed around $500 million to Harvard over his lifetime. While speaking at the MFA Network Miami conference in an interview with CNBC, Griffin mentioned that he has halted his donations to Harvard but expressed a desire for that to change. He emphasized that he would resume supporting the institution once Harvard clearly demonstrates a commitment to its traditional role of educating young leaders, problem solvers, and individuals capable of addressing challenging issues. Griffin criticized elite universities, including Harvard, for fostering what he referred to as "whiny snowflakes" and expressed concerns about an ongoing diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) agenda without a defined endpoint.

Griffin previously stated that he would not hire any Harvard student who signed an open letter blaming Israel solely for the October 7 attack at the start of the Israel-Hamas war. In the interview, he condemned antisemitism and disapproved of former Harvard President Claudine Gay's response during a House Education Committee hearing on calls for genocide against Jewish people. Griffin insisted that university leaders should unequivocally reject calls to genocide on their campuses. Harvard, like several other institutions, has faced criticism from various quarters regarding its response to campus antisemitism and Islamophobia during the Israel-Hamas war, leading Griffin and other donors to sever ties.