Ken Griffin Acquires Second Rare Constitution Printing in Private Sale

art news Top 200 collector Ken Griffin has quietly acquired another rare first edition printing of the United States Constitution, bringing his collection total to two, the only copy still in private hands. new york times.

The billionaire Citadel founder first made headlines in 2021 when he purchased a copy of a 1787 document for $43.2 million at Sotheby’s, outbidding the cryptocurrency collective Constitution DAO in one of the strangest bidding wars in recent auction history. The newly acquired work, known as the Van Sinderen Replica, was originally scheduled to be auctioned at Sotheby’s in 2022 with an estimate of $20 million to $30 million, but the auction was suddenly canceled. Griffin ultimately acquired it in a private deal for an undisclosed price.

It is understood that only 14 of the original 500 printings survive, most of which are held by institutions, and only a handful have entered the market over the past two centuries. Griffin’s early purchases have been exhibited at the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia. The new museum will be on public display at New York’s South Street Seaport Museum starting May 27, coinciding with the 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States.

The document will serve as the title of an exhibition called “The Promise of Freedom,” which will include other foundational texts, from early printings of the Bill of Rights to a draft of Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” speech. The show is part of wider plans related to the anniversary, including a fleet of nearly 100 tall ships and naval vessels scheduled to arrive in New York Harbor on July 4.

In a statement, Griffin viewed the purchase as a public gesture rather than a trophy, calling the Constitution “one of humanity’s greatest achievements” and stressing the importance of expanded access ahead of the anniversary celebrations.