Even for Republican billionaire Ken Griffin, Florida’s expanded “Don’t Say Gay” law is a bridge too far.
In a statement to The Harvard University student newspaper The Crimson, a spokesperson for the GOP megadonor said he opposes the new regulations, which bar teachers in all grades from delving into topics related to gender and sexual identity. Previously, the law only applied to teachers in third grade or below; Griffin endorsed those measures.
“Like the vast majority of Americans, Ken believes that discussions on gender identity and sexual orientation should be led by parents with their children at home, rather than by teachers in elementary schools,” the spokesperson wrote. “However, as a steadfast supporter of open discourse, academic freedom, and free speech, Ken disagrees with Florida’s recent rule extending the prohibition of classroom instruction on these topics through 12th grade.”
A representative for Griffin told The Daily Beast he has no additional comment on the situation.
A one-time Trump backer, Griffin has since moved on from the former president. In November, he referred to Trump as a “three-time loser” and expressed hope that he wouldn’t run for president in 2024.
Later that month, he conveyed his enthusiasm for Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, the champion of the “Don’t Say Gay” law. “He has a tremendous record as governor of Florida, and our country would be well-served by him as president,” Griffin said.
A spokesperson for the hedge fund billionaire told The Crimson this week that “Ken continues to assess the [Republican] field.”
Griffin graduated from Harvard with a bachelor’s degree in economics in 1989. While in school there, he ran a side business as an options and bonds trader, utilizing $265,000 he raised from friends and family members.
Last month, Griffin announced a $300 million donation to Harvard, which agreed to name its graduate school of arts and sciences after him in exchange. The decision sparked backlash on campus due to Griffin’s alignment with DeSantis.
“I am absolutely disgusted at the sale of the GSAS name to a multi billionaire who works in US politics today to undermine the foundations of liberal civil society, including free speech, and to eviscerate the essential trans partisan features of fully representative US democracy,” one Harvard professor told The Crimson at the time.
Raised in South Florida, Griffin later set up shop in Chicago, but he moved back home during the pandemic—and took his massive firm, Citadel, with him. The billionaire suggested that crime rates in Chicago motivated his move, though Florida also has no state income taxes.
Prior to relocating, Griffin has spent years accumulating huge amounts of land in Palm Beach. His estate, currently under construction, reportedly comprises the largest personal property on the island and has generated controversy among his wealthy neighbors over its immense size.
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