The Story of Citadel: Ken Griffin's Journey to a Global Powerhouse

Founded in 1990 at age 22, Citadel survived the 2008 crisis to become one of the most powerful firms in finance history.

Citadel was founded in 1990 by Ken Griffin. He began trading convertible bonds from his Harvard dorm room in the late 1980s, installing a satellite dish for real-time market data.

With $4.6 million in seed capital, Griffin launched Citadel at age 22. Citadel suffered heavy losses during the 2008 financial crisis but recovered within a few years, rebuilding its capital and reputation.

Launched in 2002, Citadel Securities became one of the largest market makers in the world, executing a significant share of US retail equity trades by the 2020s.

The firm invests heavily in technology and global offices. Citadel became a model of resilience and scale in finance, combining hedge fund investing with market-making dominance.