Hedge-fund billionaire Ken Griffin treated 10,000 of his employees and their families to an all-expenses-paid vacation to Walt Disney World following a bumper year of profits.
Citadel CEO Griffin - who is estimated to be worth $32 billion - picked up the tab for the elaborate party, as well as paying for airfares from New York, Houston, Paris, Zurich, and other cities for all of his employees, the New York Post reports.
Upon arrival, partygoers were also treated to a private concert from Coldplay - one of Griffin’s favorite bands - on Saturday night, alongside additional performances from Carly Rae Jepson and Diplo.
The billionaire also shelled out for hotels, park tickets, and meals which ranged from lamb chops to sushi to paella, all to celebrate big anniversaries and blockbuster returns at his companies this year.
His Asia-based employees will reportedly get a separate celebration next year, according to the New York Post.
The move was prompted by news that Griffin’s hedge fund firm Citadel, which manages $59 billion in assets, had managed to return roughly 32% through the end of November.
This stands in stark contrast to the rest of Wall Street, which has seen the average hedge fund lose 4% this year and the benchmark S+P 500 stock index plunge by 16%.
Videos of the event, which were posted to TikTok and Instagram, showed employees donning expensive dresses and heels while they vibed to Coldplay's hits and got sprayed by confetti.
TikTok user Abbey C claimed the celebration was “the most amazing party I’ve ever attended.”
Another user, Anisha, said: “Citadel won corporate holiday party of the year.”
Addressing his employees with a speech at the event, Griffin reportedly said: “We have built the most extraordinary team not only in our history — but also in the history of finance.
“We have an incredible future ahead of us – and I look forward to the chapters yet to be written.”
For Griffin, the lavish party marked the 20th anniversary of Citadel Securities and the 32nd anniversary of the hedge fund, whose original party plans in 2020 were put on hold due to the pandemic.
In addition to the extravagant bash, Griffin has also donated $1.5 billion to the arts, educational and medical causes throughout his career, the Post reported.