Ken Griffin gives $26M to finish Roosevelt presidential library

Ken Griffin donated $26 million to the Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library, contributing to the project’s $450 million budget. The library in Medora, North Dakota, is scheduled to open on July 4. The gift will fund final construction and exhibit work and secures naming rights for the building’s west wing.

Griffin is the founder of Citadel and head of Citadel Securities. He joins private supporters including Harold Hamm and Rob Walton. The project also received a $50 million state endowment, and organizers say roughly $100 million has been raised from other private donors for construction and exhibits.

The library sits adjacent to Theodore Roosevelt National Park. Norwegian architecture firm Snøhetta designed the building with a low profile and materials chosen to blend with the park’s terrain.

Organizers plan interactive exhibits that cover Roosevelt’s leadership, conservation efforts and public service. The displays will include an AI-powered version of Roosevelt that can answer visitor questions and staged recreations of his Manhattan home and his Rough Riders service in Cuba.

Griffin described Roosevelt as ‘a man of courage, vision and a deep commitment to the country’ and tied the donation to support for American history and civic education ahead of the nation’s 250th anniversary.

Construction and exhibit installation are in final stages as officials prepare for the July 4 opening. The state endowment is intended to support ongoing operations while private gifts cover construction costs and exhibit production.