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The billionaire Republican megadonor and Citadel CEO Ken Griffin has expressed openness to selling a minority stake in the $65 billion hedge fund he established in 1990.

What Happened: Griffin has previously sold stakes in his ventures. Two years ago, Sequoia Capital acquired a stake in Citadel Securities for $1.15 billion, valuing the market maker at $22 billion. Recently, Citadel Securities received a $5 billion investment offer from a private equity firm, which Griffin mentioned would help the company remain private longer.

In an interview with Bloomberg on Thursday at the Economic Club of New York, Griffin stated, “We would be open to the possibility of selling a minority stake in Citadel at some point in the future.”

Griffin highlighted the challenges of public capital markets, stating, “We need to make being public in the United States a much more attractive proposition.” 

Despite the offer, Griffin did not confirm acceptance and ruled out taking Citadel Securities public soon. When considering potential partners, Griffin seeks firms similar to Sequoia that can enhance Citadel’s business operations.

See Also: Michael Saylor’s MicroStrategy Takes Wall Street By Storm, Becomes Second-Most Traded Stock After Nvidia

Why It Matters: Griffin, a prominent figure in the financial world, has built Citadel into a powerhouse with over $65 billion in assets. As a mega-donor to the Republican Party, he recently voiced concerns over Donald Trump‘s tariff policies, warning they could hinder U.S. competitiveness.

In the past year, Citadel has achieved remarkable financial success, returning $7 billion to clients after a 30% profit surge. Citadel’s multistrategy fund, Wellington, has gained nearly 15% year-to-date, making it one of the top-performing hedge funds.

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Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of Benzinga Neuro and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.

Photo by Dan G via Flickr

The Securities and Exchange Commission’s (SEC) lawsuits against cryptocurrency companies will likely reach settlements once Chair Gary Gensler steps down in January 2025, according to crypto asset manager Pantera‘s chief legal officer Katrina Paglia.

What Happened: Speaking at the North American Blockchain Summit in Dallas on Thursday, Paglia said, according to Cointelegraph that while the SEC won’t completely withdraw its claims, many cases will “quietly go away” with defendants paying settlements under “neither admit nor deny” terms.

“The regulator will get to make some level of a statement and get something for the value of time and energy spent,” Paglia said, noting this would be “very beneficial” for resolving the extensive litigation.

The comments come as President-elect Donald Trump‘s transition team actively shapes what appears to be a dramatically different approach to crypto regulation.

See Also: Bitcoin Analyst Warns Of ‘4-6 Flash Crashes’ Before Year-End As It Inches Closer To $100K: That’s The Moment Altcoins ‘Shoot Off’

Why It Matters: The incoming administration is reportedly vetting candidates for the first-ever White House cryptocurrency policy role while major industry players like Coinbase Global Inc. COIN CEO Brian Armstrong engage in high-level discussions.

Industry experts see the potential for significant policy shifts, with Hunting Hill Global Capital‘s CIO Adam Guren emphasizing the need for “thoughtful policy” and clear definitions for digital assets. “Well-defined classifications would encourage engagement from both individual and institutional investors,” Guren noted.

The market has responded positively to these developments, with Bitcoin BTC/USD approaching $100,000 amid reports that companies including Ripple XRP/USD, Kraken, and Circle USD/USD are seeking representation on Trump’s promised crypto advisory council.

The SEC under Gensler’s leadership has pursued actions against numerous high-profile crypto companies, including Ripple, Binance BNB/USD, Kraken, and others, in what many in the industry have characterized as an aggressive regulatory approach.

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SEC Gary Gensler. Photo by Third Way Think Tank on Flickr

Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.

American Airlines Group Inc. AAL is taking aim at “gate lice” – an industry term for passengers who crowd gates before their boarding group is called – with new technology being rolled out to more than 100 U.S. airports during the holiday season.

What Happened: The system, which automatically rejects boarding passes from passengers attempting to board ahead of their assigned group, comes as a welcome relief to airline staff who have long struggled with boarding zone violations.

“We’ve heard from our customers that the ability to board with their assigned group is important,” said Julie Rath, Senior Vice President of Airport Operations, Reservations and Service Recovery at American Airlines. “The initial positive response from customers and team members has exceeded our expectations.”

The technology triggers an audible alert if passengers try to board early, allowing gate agents to redirect them to wait for their proper boarding group.

Following successful trials at airports in Albuquerque, Washington D.C., and Tucson, the expansion will include major facilities such as Austin-Bergstrom International Airport and Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport.

See Also: Amazon At Risk Of Major Fine As EU Investigates Alleged Preference For In-House Products Under Digital Markets Act: Report

Why It Matters: Flight attendants and gate staff have long identified premature boarding attempts as a significant source of frustration, leading to the informal “gate lice” nickname for chronic offenders. The new system aims to eliminate such disruptions while preserving boarding privileges tied to “AAdvantage” status and fare class.

The software platform also provides gate agents with real-time data on boarding group sizes and incoming flight connections, consolidating multiple applications into a single interface. For passengers traveling with companions in earlier boarding groups, agents can override the system with a single click.

American Airlines, which operates thousands of daily flights to more than 350 destinations across 60+ countries, plans to extend the technology to its hub airports in the coming months.

Price Action: American Airlines’ stock closed at $14.20 on Tuesday, down 1.80% for the day. In after-hours trading, the stock edged up 0.21%. Year-to-date, the stock has gained 5.65%, according to data from Benzinga Pro.

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Image Via Pixabay

Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.

Deepwater Asset Management’s managing partner Gene Munster has weighed in on the implications of Alphabet Inc.’s GOOG GOOGL Google’s regulatory challenges, including the potential divestment of the Chrome browser.

What Happened: On Thursday, in an interview with CNBC, Munster highlighted the potential impact of a Chrome spin-off on Google’s search market share.

According to Munster, spinning off Chrome could reduce Google’s dominant 90% search market share in developed regions to approximately 80%.

This shift could significantly affect Google’s search growth, which has been averaging 10–14% in recent quarters, potentially dropping to low single digits or even negative in the short term.

He said, “People love Google, and they will slowly come back,” but the stock is down about 5% because this gets to the “core of half their business, which is search.” 

Despite these concerns, he believes the likelihood of a Chrome spinout is low, citing a lack of precedent for such a move.

See Also: Apple Prepares To Take On OpenAI’s ChatGPT, Google Gemini ‘Live’ With LLM Siri In 2025: Report

Munster also pointed out that Google’s search business forms a significant portion of its revenue and is also a critical pillar for its AI initiatives like Gemini. A drop in search market share could weaken Google’s ability to compete with rivals such as ChatGPT-parent OpenAI.

He went on to speak about the interconnectedness of regulatory challenges, noting that the DOJ’s scrutiny of Google’s search deal with Apple Inc. AAPL could further damage the company’s search business.

Earlier this year, a lawsuit uncovered that Apple received a substantial $20 billion in 2022 to set Google as the default search engine on the Safari browser for iPhones.

For investors, the stakes are high. Munster warned that if such worst-case scenarios unfold, Google’s stock could drop another 10–15%.