When Ken Griffin, who had a presence in New York City and a presence in Chicago, goes to Miami and gives that money [away], it’s a loss for us,
Steve Fulop said on 77 WABC’s Cats Roundtable
regarding a historic philanthropic pledge.
Hedge fund manager Ken Griffin announced a $3 billion donation to Carnegie Mellon University on October 1, 2026, allocating $2 billion to establish a new 35-acre campus in Miami’s Wynwood neighborhood and $1 billion to the main Pittsburgh campus https://nypost.com/2026/10/04/us-news/ken-griffins-3b-carnegie-mellon-donation-is-a-loss-for-nyc/. The Citadel CEO did not allocate any funds to Manhattan’s Carnegie Mellon campus, which business leaders noted followed months of political friction with New York officials.
NYC Leaders Link Donation Loss to Tax Agenda
Fulop, the President of Partnership for New York City, argued that major donors splitting time across multiple locations do not double their overall philanthropy when funding new projects elsewhere. Business leaders claimed it was no coincidence that Manhattan received nothing after Mayor Zohran Mamdani used the billionaire as a poster child for a tax the rich
agenda https://nypost.com/2026/10/04/us-news/ken-griffins-3b-carnegie-mellon-donation-is-a-loss-for-nyc/.
In April, Mamdani filmed a social media video outside Griffin’s 24,000-square-foot property at 220 Central Park South to promote a new pied-à-terre tax on luxury second homes.
Griffin Funds Carnegie Mellon University Miami Land Deal
The funding supports the creation of Carnegie Mellon University Miami, anchored by a record $1.1 billion land transaction finalized on September 29 between Griffin and Mana Common founder Moishe Mana https://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/education/article317443195.html. The deal encompassed approximately 30 acres in Wynwood, marking the largest land assemblage transaction in Florida history after nearly three years of negotiations.
I believe that all great American cities are anchored by great universities and Carnegie Mellon will bring a great university here to Miami complementary to other universities here in the region,
Griffin said https://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/education/article317443195.html.
