Billionaire Ken Griffin, the founder of Citadel, usually does not make headlines with a single stock. But his recent move into Meta Platforms, the company behind Facebook and Instagram, is impossible to ignore.
In just one quarter, Griffin went from almost zero ownership of Meta to making it one of his largest tech investments. Citadel bought about 1.96 million shares, worth roughly $1.44 billion, increasing its stake by a huge 12,693 per cent.
For a firm that is known for careful risk management, this is a massive and bold move.
Why does Meta stand out?
Meta has become a major player in artificial intelligence. The company has been using AI to improve the way ads work, recommend better content on Instagram Reels, and expand its open-source Llama AI model ecosystem.
These efforts are paying off. In Q3 2025, Meta reported record sales of $51.2 billion, a 26 per cent increase from the previous year.
The growth was largely driven by AI-powered advertising, which has increased demand from businesses worldwide. For Griffin, this is not just hype, it is a real, measurable opportunity, and he is willing to bet a significant amount of money on it.
Griffin’s big bets on tech
Griffin is not stopping with Meta. He is reshaping his tech portfolio to focus on AI, one of the hottest trends in the market.
Along with Meta, Citadel increased stakes in Microsoft, Apple, Alphabet, Tesla, and Nvidia, while slightly reducing its Amazon holding.
Even though Griffin has warned about “echoes of the dot-com bubble” in today’s AI-driven market, he jumped into Big Tech with confidence.
Griffin’s current portfolio
As per Ticker Tracker, here is Griffin’s current portfolio:
Meta Platforms: Up 12,693% to 1.96 million shares ($1.44B)
Microsoft: Doubled to about 3.97 million shares
Apple: Increased by 108% to 4.92 million shares
Alphabet (Google): One class up 200%, another up 268%
Tesla: Up 280% to 1.5 million shares
Nvidia: Added 21% to reach 9.8 million shares
Griffin started trading stocks from his college dorm and founded Citadel in 1990 with just $4.6 million. Over the past 35 years, that small startup has grown into a global hedge fund managing over $65 billion.
Citadel is known for its quantitative expertise, talented staff, and disciplined approach to investing. The firm has generated nearly $74 billion in cumulative net profits, more than any hedge fund in history.
In 2022 alone, Citadel delivered a 38 percent return, including $16 billion in gains for its investors.
Griffin’s aggressive purchase of Meta shows that even the most cautious investors recognise opportunities when they see them.
By betting big on a company at the forefront of AI, he is giving confidence in Meta’s future and in the broader tech sector.
