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Citadel
Organisation

Citadel

US multi-strategy hedge fund; $60bn+ AUM; founded by Ken Griffin in 1990.

Last refreshed: 13 April 2026

Key Question

Why is a US hedge fund backing a European GPU cloud company?

Timeline for Citadel

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Common Questions
Why did Citadel invest in Nscale?
Citadel joined the $2bn Nscale round to secure access to GPU compute infrastructure it depends on for its own quantitative trading and AI modelling operations.Source: uk-startups-and-innovation
What is Citadel hedge fund known for?
Citadel is known for generating consistently high returns through multi-strategy quantitative investing across equities, credit, macro, and commodities.Source: uk-startups-and-innovation
Is Citadel the same as Citadel Securities?
No. Citadel LLC is the hedge fund; Citadel Securities is a legally separate market-making business. Both are controlled by Ken Griffin.Source: uk-startups-and-innovation

Background

Citadel is a Miami-headquartered hedge fund founded by Ken Griffin in 1990 and one of the most profitable investment firms in history, with assets under management exceeding $60bn. The firm participated in the $2bn Nscale fundraise alongside Jane Street and Point72, marking one of the more unusual appearances of quantitative trading capital in a European venture round. For Citadel, the investment is a strategic bet on AI compute infrastructure rather than a conventional VC play.

Citadel operates two main businesses: the hedge fund, which runs global multi-strategy portfolios across equities, credit, macro, and commodities; and Citadel Securities, a separate market-making Arm that handles a significant proportion of US retail equity order flow. The firm is known for its rigorous quantitative culture, high attrition, and exceptional returns. Ken Griffin, the founder and CEO, is one of the wealthiest individuals in the United States.

Citadels presence in the Nscale round reflects a pattern among elite trading firms of using balance sheet capital to secure privileged access to AI infrastructure they depend on for their own modelling and data processing. At the scale Citadel operates, owning or having priority access to GPU compute is a direct competitive advantage, not merely a financial return calculation.