Ken Griffin, founder and CEO of Citadel, addressed the Economic Club of New York at The Plaza Hotel in New York on November 21, 2024. His remarks came ahead of a strong year for Citadel's hedge funds amid challenging market conditions in 2025.
Billionaire investor Ken Griffin saw his flagship hedge fund at Citadel increase by double digits in 2025. The year was characterized by significant market volatility, including sharp swings, trade tensions, and a late recovery in risk assets.
According to a source familiar with Citadel's performance, who spoke anonymously due to the private nature of the information, the firm's largest multistrategy Wellington fund gained 10.2% in 2025. The tactical trading fund, combining equities with quantitative strategies, rose by 18.6%. Meanwhile, Citadel’s fundamental equity strategy and its global fixed income fund returned 14.5% and 9.4%, respectively.
Citadel declined to comment on these figures.
The S&P 500 recorded a 16.4% annual gain in 2025, marking its third consecutive year with double-digit growth. This indicates a strong comeback from the significant disruptions in early April, following President Donald Trump's announcement of sweeping tariffs, which had initially brought the index close to bear market territory.
Citing a report by CNBC's Leslie Picker, Citadel intends to return approximately $5 billion of its 2025 profits to clients, a strategy aimed at curbing capital growth. As a result, the firm’s assets under management are expected to decrease from roughly $72 billion to about $67 billion.
Moreover, Wellington's long-term performance remains impressive, with an annualized return of 19% since its inception in 1990, the source noted.