Billionaire investor Ken Griffin, founder and CEO of hedge fund Citadel, purchased a late-Jurassic stegosaurus skeleton named “Apex” for $44.6 million at Sotheby’s, making it the most valuable fossil ever sold at auction. The nearly complete skeleton, measuring 11 feet tall and nearly 27 feet long, was only expected to sell for $6 million. Griffin won the live auction in New York after competing with six other bidders for 15 minutes. He plans to explore loaning Apex to a U.S. institution. The stegosaurus, which shows no signs of combat-related injuries, was excavated on private land in Colorado. In the past, Griffin has also made significant donations to museums, including gifting $16.5 million to Chicago’s Field Museum for the display of a touchable cast of the largest dinosaur ever discovered. Additionally, Griffin paid $43.2 million for a first-edition copy of the U.S. Constitution in 2021 and later loaned it to the Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art in Arkansas. His purchase of Apex adds to his collection of rare and valuable artifacts, showcasing his interest in history and preservation.
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