- Citadel CEO Ken Griffin’s Stegosaurus fossil will be displayed at the American Museum of Natural History.
- Griffin purchased the fossil — dubbed Apex — for $44.6 million in July.
- The fossil is 150 million years old and nearly 80% complete.
Citadel CEO Ken Griffin’s Stegosaurus fossil has found a temporary home at the American Museum of Natural History.
The 150-million-year-old fossil known as “Apex” will be displayed at the Manhattan-based museum starting December 8. It will arrive at the American Museum of Natural History as part of a special loan from Griffin, who purchased it during a Sotheby’s auction for $44.6 million in July.
Commercial paleontologist Jason Cooper discovered Apex in May 2022 at Morrison Formation near Dinosaur, Colorado. It is 11.5 feet tall, 27 feet long, and nearly 80% complete. Apex is thought to be the largest and one of the most complete Stegosaurus specimens discovered so far.
Sotheby’s, which initially expected the fossil to go for about $6 million, said in a statement that Apex set off a “bidding battle” and was “the most valuable fossil ever sold at auction.”
At the time, some paleontologists argued it shouldn’t have been privately sold but rather used for educational purposes.
“We are thrilled to have Apex on view at the Museum and grateful to Ken Griffin for his commitment to sharing this magnificent specimen with the public and for partnering with our Museum to do so,” Sean M. Decatur, President of the American Museum of Natural History, said in a press release.
The press release said Griffin’s decision to loan the fossil will allow scientists in the museum’s Division of Paleontology to study it as part of a new research initiative.
A representative for Griffin said he also provided sampling needed for scientific research and funding for educational programming. A postdoctoral fellow will also have the opportunity to research Apex alongside other Stegosaurus specimens.
“Apex offers a unique window into our planet’s distant past, and I’m so pleased to partner with the American Museum of Natural History to showcase it at one of our country’s preeminent scientific institutions,” Griffin said in a statement to Business Insider. “I am grateful that millions of visitors and researchers will now be able to see and learn from this magnificent specimen of the Late Jurassic Period.”
He added: “The joy and awe every child feels coloring a Stegosaurus with their crayons will now be brought to life for the millions of people who have the opportunity to see this epic dinosaur in person.”
