Ken Griffin has once again made headlines for merging deep pockets with a passion for American history. The billionaire hedge fund manager, best known as the CEO of Citadel, has purchased a rare, Abraham Lincoln–signed copy of the Thirteenth Amendment for a staggering $13.7 million at Sotheby’s, crushing the previous record for any historical document of its kind sold at auction. This particular copy is one of only 15 known Lincoln-signed versions, and just nine bear the signatures of both the 16th president and members of Congress from that era. The final price soared past its $12 million estimate.
Not stopping there, Griffin also acquired an original copy of the Emancipation Proclamation—another pivotal document in U.S. history—signed by Lincoln and purchased for $4.4 million. One of only 27 known to exist, the document served as a foundational moment in the Civil War, declaring the freedom of all enslaved people in Confederate states. Combined, the two purchases set a new benchmark at Sotheby’s, marking the highest-grossing various-owners book auction in the firm’s history.
Griffin emphasized the importance of public access to such materials. “Each generation must experience the sacred documents of our democracy—to learn from them and be inspired to carry our country forward,” he said in a statement. He plans to loan both documents to a U.S. institution for public viewing, following a precedent he already set by lending his rare copies of the U.S. Constitution and Bill of Rights to the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia.
Ranked 32nd on Bloomberg’s Billionaires Index with a net worth of $48.3 billion, Griffin is no stranger to high-profile acquisitions. But his growing collection of rare founding documents positions him not only as a collector but also as a public custodian of America’s democratic heritage. His latest purchases aren’t just trophies—they’re testaments to the enduring value of the ideals they represent.
