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# Chicago Chases Away the Rich, Miami Says ‘Thank You'
- URL: https://goodoil.news/chicago-chases-away-the-rich-miami-says-thank-you/
- Published: 2026-10-09T03:30:25.000Z
- Updated: 2026-10-09T03:30:25.000Z
- Description: Who cares if they leave – bye!
- Author: Reproduced with permission
- Tags: US Politics, Business, Economy

[**Richard Porter**](https://realclearwire.com/articles/2026/10/07/chicago%5Fchases%5Faway%5Fthe%5Frich%5Fmiami%5Fsays%5Fthank%5Fyou%5F154564.html?ref=goodoil.news)  
*Richard Porter is a member of the board of directors of the Alfa Institute, a platform for ideas, policy proposals and new technology integration pertaining to artificial intelligence.*

A problem of our modern age is that there are no adverse consequences for people who believe things at odds with reality: An LGBT activist in Chicago who marches under the “Queers for Palestine” banner never has to answer for what happens to actual queers in Gaza – or reconcile the fact that Israel is the only truly safe space for gay people in the entire Middle East.

Our overly cosseted society buffers us from the world’s harsh realities.

As the cost of delusions – beliefs at odds with observable reality – falls to zero, it’s no surprise that we have more fantastical thinking, particularly in progressive precincts where reality has become merely a construct.

One such hip delusion among young people in places like New York and Seattle and Chicago is to demonize Americans who’ve been financially successful. “Eat the Rich” is their cutesy phrase – though it’s not so cute when some spoiled scion shoots a health care executive in the back on the streets of Manhattan. The idea, we are told, is that billionaires and corporate elites hoard wealth stolen from the people, causing others to be poorer and struggle. So even those appalled at the thought of taking their lives think nothing of taking their money, and who cares if they leave – [bye!](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kENsOkibc6s&ref=goodoil.news)

This delusion is so popular that socialism, a system that has proven itself a disaster for a century, is on the rise. Californians are voting on a confiscation tax on the wealthy, while mayors in New York and Chicago are implementing policies to stick it to these supposedly greedy, awful individuals – [people like Ken Griffin](https://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2026/04/19/mamdanis%5Ftax-the-rich%5Fplan%5Frisks%5Fdriving%5Fwealth%5Faway%5F154050.html?ref=goodoil.news), founder and CEO of Citadel LLC, a multinational hedge fund, who is worth $57 billion according to [Forbes](https://www.forbes.com/profile/ken-griffin/?ref=goodoil.news).

As it turns out, however, Ken Griffin is a living rebuke to the fools who don’t understand the [principled pragmatism](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e9ruwJZJ3zY&ref=goodoil.news) of capitalism, the inherent differences between [free exchange](https://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2020/03/23/food%5Findustry%5Flessons%5Ffor%5Fthe%5Fhealth%5Fcare%5Fsector%5F%5F%5F142740.html?ref=goodoil.news) and socialism, what [money is today](https://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2019/09/18/money%5Ffrom%5Fnothing%5Fdemocrats%5Fsocialism%5Ffor%5Ffree%5F141280.html?ref=goodoil.news), and how it changes the [nature of wealth](https://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2020/03/20/rx%5Ffor%5Feconomy%5Fpolicies%5Fthat%5Fkeep%5Fbusinesses%5Fbusy.html?ref=goodoil.news).

But, put all that aside for a moment. What Ken Griffin’s example actually proves is a much simpler reality: A community that welcomes prosperous people becomes more prosperous, and communities that are inhospitable to prosperous people become poorer.

Illinois won the lottery when Griffin made this place his home. A Florida native, he came to Chicago after graduating from Harvard University, working here for another entrepreneur briefly before striking out on his own to build Citadel. As it became a powerhouse, Chicago and Illinois benefited along with him. Not just because of the vast sums in income taxes he and his company and executives paid to the state or the local property taxes in Chicago, but because of his commitment to giving generously to make our city better.

Griffin loved Chicago. Our museums, our universities, our local schools, our hospitals – even our crime lab – all benefited by his civic engagement, his massive contributions, and his fierce commitment to make Chicago and Illinois a better place to live and work.

And he encouraged other successful Chicagoans to do the same. In a [noteworthy speech to the Economic Club of Chicago](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gh6CjVgIia8&ref=goodoil.news) in May 2013, Griffin told the story of how Chicago grew into a great place to live because its business leaders were civically engaged as they built the city. He explained how he benefited from their work and built his business here while challenging contemporary business leaders of Chicago to re-engage civically to save Chicago and Illinois from the problems brought on by poor governance.

[He spoke of cronyism,](https://www.chicagotribune.com/2013/05/22/citadels-kenneth-griffin-exposes-cronyism-causes-a-stir-at-economic-club/?ref=goodoil.news) how political leaders used state resources to buy off business leaders in Illinois, and challenged them to stand up and fight for the benefit of the people of Chicago instead. And, for a few years, business leaders were more engaged. But that spirit soon faded – and then all but disappeared with the onset of the Covid pandemic.

Griffin returned to the [Economic Club in October 2021](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dFE3X9qjWd0&t=274s&ref=goodoil.news) with a warning: Unchecked crime and the feckless governmental leaders in Chicago and Illinois were making it difficult for him to consider keeping Citadel in the city. 

Citadel had already been forced to move many of its operations to a hotel in Florida at the outset of Covid to keep the business running. But what Griffin discovered in Florida was a pragmatic government that was responsive to its citizens. 

Griffin never had his hand out – he was fiercely critical of handouts – he paid his taxes, gave away billions of dollars to help others and enrich the community. All he wanted was a city that works. Unfortunately, Chicago no longer worked for anyone who wasn’t part of the governing cabal. So he moved his headquarters out of Chicago to Miami in 2022.

“Miami is a vibrant, growing metropolis that embodies the American dream,” [Griffin said](https://www.nbcchicago.com/news/local/chicago-politics/pritzker-republicans-react-after-ken-griffin-announces-citadels-move-to-miami/2864341/?ref=goodoil.news) at the time. “I am excited to have recently moved to Miami with my family and look forward to rapidly expanding Citadel in a city so rich in diversity and abounding with energy.”

Gov JB Pritzker, whose wealth was inherited, said of the self-made Griffin’s decision: “So like a spoiled rich kid, Griffin announced he was taking his toys and leaving Illinois.”

The “toys” Griffin took with him now include a $3 billion gift to Carnegie Mellon University that will be invested in an amazing new research facility to make Miami even more vibrant. Even [the liberal *Chicago Tribune* gets it](https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/10/02/mung-chiang-ken-griffin-university-of-miami-carnegie-mellon-university-miami-wynwood/?lctg=9dc20ec4a53e59803c0fae1d5daf3515&active=yesD&utm%5Fcampaign=trib-chicago%5Ftribune-opinion-nl&utm%5Fcontent=curated&utm%5Fsource=sailthru&utm%5Fmedium=newsletter&utm%5Fcluster=TRIB&utm%5FprofileID=6a5eab68e19211560ff952dc): that $3 billion gift could have been made here, not to mention the other [billions he’s given away](https://www.griffincatalyst.org/about/?ref=goodoil.news) since leaving Chicago, all of which would have reinvigorated opportunities and increased the wealth and appeal of Chicago.

Pritzker himself is also a billionaire – and he and his family have generously given millions to make Chicago better too. But by far the biggest recipient of Pritzker’s largesse is… Pritzker himself. He has contributed an estimated $500 million to political campaigns and political action committees, most of it to self-fund his political campaigns. He then used that power to drive away anyone else with money to give away who didn’t go along with his dubious policies.

Illinois and Chicago blew it with Griffin and many others with money to give away. In New York, 34-year-old Mayor Zohran [Mamdani is hellbent on blowing it too](https://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2026/04/19/mamdanis%5Ftax-the-rich%5Fplan%5Frisks%5Fdriving%5Fwealth%5Faway%5F154050.html?ref=goodoil.news). 

A poorly led state and city, a city with waning civic engagement by business leaders willing to push back against a corrupt political culture created by greedy pols out for themselves and their cronies, doesn’t die overnight. It rusts away, becoming stark, ugly, and sad – step by step. That’s our reality in Illinois, as long as the state is JB Pritzker’s toy. 

Eat the rich and suffer the consequences? Hell no! Keep the rich and enjoy the benefits.

This article was originally published by RealClearPolitics and made available via [RealClearWire](https://realclearwire.com/articles/2026/10/07/chicago%5Fchases%5Faway%5Fthe%5Frich%5Fmiami%5Fsays%5Fthank%5Fyou%5F154564.html?ref=goodoil.news).