Welcome to DU! The truly grassroots left-of-center political community where regular people, not algorithms, drive the discussions and set the standards. Join the community: Create a free account Support DU (and get rid of ads!): Become a Star Member Latest Breaking News General Discussion The DU Lounge All Forums Issue Forums Culture Forums Alliance Forums Region Forums Support Forums Help & Search

SouthBayDem

(32,025 posts)
Wed Jan 31, 2024, 12:33 AM Jan 31

$500 million Harvard megadonor halts donations, says elite schools produce 'whiny snowflakes'

Source: CNN

New York
CNN

Hedge fund billionaire Ken Griffin, who has donated more than $500 million to Harvard University over the years, has halted contributions to his alma mater and claimed elite schools produce “whiny snowflakes.”

Griffin, one of the richest people in the world, joins a growing list of donors to Harvard, the University of Pennsylvania, Columbia and other top schools who have decided to close their checkbooks.

At a conference in Miami on Tuesday, Griffin expressed deep frustration with the state of American universities, including the disastrous testimony before Congress by the presidents of Harvard, MIT and UPenn.

Griffin, the founder of hedge fund Citadel, said he is no longer supporting Harvard financially but would like that to change.

Read more: https://www.cnn.com/2024/01/30/money/harvard-ken-griffin-halts-donations/index.html

24 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
Highlight: NoneDon't highlight anything 5 newestHighlight 5 most recent replies
$500 million Harvard megadonor halts donations, says elite schools produce 'whiny snowflakes' (Original Post) SouthBayDem Jan 31 OP
Fuck him. OAITW r.2.0 Jan 31 #1
Says one of the galaxies most entitled lily white snowflakes. NoMoreRepugs Jan 31 #2
Yeah. Waste your money on Liberty, Hillsdale, and DeSantis U. Freethinker65 Jan 31 #3
I get the feeling EYESORE 9001 Jan 31 #4
Aww, he's just thinking he could have bought a few more homes with that $500 million: highplainsdem Jan 31 #5
Basically when you hear hedge fund moniss Jan 31 #6
he's a douche. and a whiney douchebag republican. and leaves a douchebag trail wherever he goes. nt orleans Jan 31 #7
Whiney snowflakes Beausoleil Jan 31 #8
Whiney like himself. live love laugh Jan 31 #10
And Kevin Sorbo. nt Hotler Jan 31 #17
The Ivies RobinA Jan 31 #21
Sounds like he's projecting. nt SunSeeker Jan 31 #9
Pay more taxes snowflake Pas-de-Calais Jan 31 #11
Aww Roy Rolling Jan 31 #12
What Griffin really means by cutting off the money: no_hypocrisy Jan 31 #13
Why doesn't he start his own university? LiberalFighter Jan 31 #20
Yes and where does he get the term "snowflakes" anyway? FakeNoose Jan 31 #22
citadel had a terrible rep in chgo for chewing up employees and spitting them out. mopinko Jan 31 #14
I think these large donors are part of the problem JI7 Jan 31 #15
Hedge funders being the absolutely whiniest snowflakes of them all. jvill Jan 31 #16
Universities should be more self sufficient. LiberalFighter Jan 31 #18
No money till they teach them to love Trump. BradBo Jan 31 #19
The ruling class wants to own higher education. NT Happy Hoosier Jan 31 #23
IOW "I don't pay to have students educated. I want them indoctrinated in RW-think! Or ELSE!" n/t CousinIT Jan 31 #24

Freethinker65

(10,021 posts)
3. Yeah. Waste your money on Liberty, Hillsdale, and DeSantis U.
Wed Jan 31, 2024, 12:41 AM
Jan 31

Become a laughing stock when buildings dedicated to disinformation and bizarre studies like the positive attributes of slavery and white rule, and anti-wokeness 101 become your legacy.

highplainsdem

(48,978 posts)
5. Aww, he's just thinking he could have bought a few more homes with that $500 million:
Wed Jan 31, 2024, 01:36 AM
Jan 31

2019 story:

https://www.6sqft.com/billionaire-ken-griffin-buys-238m-nyc-penthouse-the-most-expensive-home-sold-in-the-u-s/

Billionaire Ken Griffin has closed on a penthouse at 220 Central Park South for $238 million, setting the record for the most expensive home ever sold in the United States, as the Wall Street Journal first reported. Griffin, who founded Citadel, first signed the contract to buy a 24,000-square-foot unit at the under-construction tower in 2015. The hedge fund mogul reportedly picked up the pricey digs as “a place to stay when he’s in town,” since his company is looking to expand its footprint in New York City.

Since 2015, it was reported that the penthouse at Robert A.M. Stern’s 220 Central Park South tower would set a staggering sales record. 6sqft reported at the time that the unit, dubbed the “billionaire’s bunker,” could ask between $150 and $175 million. Building documents filed in 2016 last listed the 24,000-square-foot, four-floor unit for $250 million.

-snip-

This is not the first time the billionaire has closed on a record-breaking real estate deal. The WSJ reported that Griffin recently bought several floors of a condo building in Chicago for $58.75 million, a Miami penthouse in 2015 for $60 million, and earlier this month he bought a London property for $122 million.

moniss

(4,243 posts)
6. Basically when you hear hedge fund
Wed Jan 31, 2024, 01:59 AM
Jan 31

it is safe to use the common definition of "people with lots of money looking for opportunities to screw people out of money". Yes I know there are supposedly a few that aren't so bad but they seem to be very few and far between.

no_hypocrisy

(46,111 posts)
13. What Griffin really means by cutting off the money:
Wed Jan 31, 2024, 06:00 AM
Jan 31

1. He only was supporting legacy admissions, not universal admissions.

2. He wanted an institution that promoted a certain demographic: privileged and wealthy white males.

3. He wasn't interested in graduates with a well-rounded liberal arts curriculum.

4. He was afraid that these "whiny snowflakes" were more than undeserved scholarship. It would spread to the privileged group. (See #2.) And that would make them unfit to run corporations, go into government, etc. Heaven forbid that these kids have critical minds and compassion for others.

FakeNoose

(32,639 posts)
22. Yes and where does he get the term "snowflakes" anyway?
Wed Jan 31, 2024, 01:55 PM
Jan 31

He must be watching Faux Noise 24/7/365. Fuck this guy....

mopinko

(70,104 posts)
14. citadel had a terrible rep in chgo for chewing up employees and spitting them out.
Wed Jan 31, 2024, 09:18 AM
Jan 31

my ex worked in the biz, in the tech end. a couple of his coworkers went to work for them. got huge signing bonuses, big pay. they burned out in a year.
asshole to his core.

Latest Discussions»Latest Breaking News»$500 million Harvard mega...