Ken Griffin Slams Trump’s Corporate Tariff Exemptions as ’Anti-American’ in Fiery Critique

Billionaire investor Ken Griffin unleashes scathing criticism against presidential tariff policies favoring corporate giants.

The Core Conflict

Citadel's founder condemns selective trade exemptions as fundamentally un-American, arguing they create unfair advantages for politically connected firms while smaller businesses bear the full brunt of import taxes.

Wall Street vs Main Street

Griffin's outburst highlights the growing tension between massive corporations and smaller enterprises in trade policy discussions. The hedge fund manager—who rarely minces words—called the exemptions a betrayal of free market principles.

Policy Implications

The criticism comes as trade tensions reshape global supply chains, with some companies leveraging political connections for competitive advantages that others can't access. Because nothing says 'free markets' like government-picked winners.

Griffin's stance signals deepening fractures in business community support for protectionist policies, proving even billionaires draw lines when capitalism gets... selective.

Ken slams Apple’s tariff break and Tim Cook’s White House favor

Apple, the most valuable tech company in the world, is once again getting a pass. Ken said the iPhone Maker should “100% not” be exempt from Trump’s tariffs. Most of Apple’s hardware has been produced in China, with newer manufacturing happening in India and Vietnam.

Still, after Apple CEO Tim Cook pledged to invest another $100 billion in U.S. suppliers, on top of the $500 billion already committed, Trump’s administration gave them a green light to skip a planned 100% tariff on semiconductors.

That investment wasn’t all Cook offered. He also presented Trump with a custom-made Apple plaque featuring a gold base, another MOVE Ken clearly saw as a tactic to curry favor. “We’re just going to continue to favor big and connected businesses in America?” he asked, pointing straight at the cronyism baked into these types of arrangements.

Cook’s deal follows a pattern that’s been going on since Trump’s first term in office, when Apple also avoided tariffs thanks to a trade agreement with China. Ken was blunt: this is not about policy or competitiveness, it’s about which CEO knows which politician. And the outcome, he said, is a dangerous shift where companies stop innovating and start lobbying. “The Core competency won’t be that you can drive innovation,” he said. “It’s that you can drive the right favors from D.C.”

Ken warns that the White House favor line is a trap

Ken said this kind of government behavior sets a trap for companies who play the game now but don’t think ahead. He warned that businesses who bend over for today’s leadership might end up in trouble when a new president takes over. “It’s the government’s engagement in picking winners and losers. And we should tread carefully on that water,” he said. “In fact, we should just stay out of it. That’s where the crocodiles live.”

He’s also raising the alarm on how tariffs affect everyday Americans. Ken compared them to a national sales tax, saying they hurt lower-income households more because they spend a bigger chunk of their income on consumer goods. “There are issues of equity and fairness,” he said, making it clear that this is about who actually carries the financial weight.

Despite all the noise, Apple’s stock has been climbing. Earlier this week, it became the last of the mega-cap tech companies to turn positive for the year. Year-to-date, it’s up just over 1%. In the last three months, Apple shares have jumped more than 25%, outpacing the rest of the market. But after Ken’s Thursday remarks aired, Apple stock dipped slightly from its highs during the session.

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