Billionaire Ken Griffin, founder and CEO of Citadel hedge fund. Recently, he took to Twitter to air his grievances over some tariffs levied by former-President Trump. Speaking on CNBC’s “Closing Bell Overtime” this Wednesday, Griffin, whose hedge fund manages over $65 billion as of early 2025, asserted that these tariffs disproportionately impact hardworking Americans.
Griffin, who has been one of the Republican politicians’ most influential megadonors and one of their most vocal supporters of former President Donald Trump, didn’t mince words. He argues that the nation’s economic future rides on how Trump’s economic policies evolve. He pointed out that the tariffs were effectively a tax on American workers that would be very regressive.
“Tariffs hit the pocketbook of hardworking Americans the hardest,” Griffin stated during the interview, highlighting his perspective on the financial strain these taxes impose on individuals striving to make ends meet.
In his testimony, Griffin compared tariffs to a sales tax, calling them a “painfully regressive tax.” He elaborated, “It’s going to hit those who are working the hardest to make ends meet. That’s my big issue with tariffs.”
The billionaire’s statements reflect a growing concern among some economists and business leaders about the implications of such tariffs on consumer prices and overall economic health. Griffin’s politics are hard right, and he has supported Trump with his dollars. Despite his support for the party, this is turned on its head with sharp criticisms of key policy decisions.
Griffin’s comments should open up an important discussion. This talk continues the conversation about how tariffs are already hurting American families and how they’ll hurt the economy in the long term. As he put it, “That’s the real question we’re going to face over the next two years.”
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