Ken Griffin Adds a Second Rare U.S. Constitution Print to His Collection
Billionaire collector Ken Griffin has acquired a second original print of the U.S. Constitution, deepening one of the most unusual private holdings in the American market. The purchase was made through a private sale for an undisclosed amount, and Griffin said he plans to exhibit the document in New York as the country approaches its 250th anniversary.
The acquisition follows Griffin’s 2021 purchase of another first printing of the Constitution for $43.2 million, a record for the category at auction. That copy is currently on view at the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia. The newly acquired print is scheduled to go on display at the South Street Seaport Museum in Manhattan beginning May 27, as part of a broader exhibition on American history.
The rarity of the material helps explain the scale of the attention. Only 14 official copies of the Constitution made in 1787 are known to have survived, placing the surviving examples among the most coveted documents in American history. Griffin framed the purchase in sweeping terms, saying, “The Constitution is far more than a founding document — it is one of humanity’s greatest achievements and a testament to the promise of America.”
The news arrives alongside another institutional dispute in Washington, where a union for the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts has filed unfair labor practice charges with the National Labor Relations Board. The International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees accused the center of unlawfully firing dozens of employees and using renovation plans as a pretext for job cuts. Donald Trump previously announced that the center would close for two years on July 4 for major renovations, a plan that has also been challenged in court.
Together, the stories point to a season in which cultural institutions are being pulled between preservation, politics, and public accountability — whether the subject is a founding document, a performance venue, or the future of a museum’s mission.
