What is Anne Dias' net worth?
Anne Dias is a Franco-American investor and philanthropist who has a net worth of $250 million. Anne Dias is the founder and CEO of the investment firm Aragon Global Management. She is perhaps best known for being the ex-wife of billionaire hedge fund manager Ken Griffin. She sits on the board of Fox Corporation and is one of the largest contributors to the restoration of Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris.
Dias was born in France and moved to the United States to study at the Georgetown University School of Foreign Science and then earned her MBA from Harvard Business School. She worked as a research assistant before becoming the Brussels representative to the American Electronics Association in 1991. Anne was a financial analyst at Goldman Sachs in London and New York and also worked at Fidelity Investments Limited in London. She joined George Soros' Soros Fund Management in 1997 before starting Aragon Global Management, LLC in 2001.
Anne Dias married Kenneth C. Griffin in 2003. They had three children. They were officially divorced in 2015 after a contentious 14-month battle, which resulted in a large settlement being paid to Anne in addition to more than $1 million a year in spousal support. The couple founded the Kenneth and Anne Griffin Foundation and donated $19 million to the Art Institute of Chicago and $16 million to the Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago.
Divorce Settlement
When Ken filed for divorce after 11 years, he did so while Anne was on vacation with their three children. She reportedly had no idea a separation was imminent. During their divorce proceedings, Anne argued that she was forced under duress to sign a prenup in 2003. At the time they married, Ken was worth $1 billion, and she had a net worth of $1 million. By the time they separated, Ken's net worth had risen to $7 billion, and the couple's monthly income averaged $68 million. Ken countered that his wife was worth at least $50 million at the time of their separation and that he had already paid her $40 million following the prenup. At one point, Anne was requesting $1 million per month in alimony payments. In her filing, where she requested $1 million per month, she listed the following monthly expenses:
- $2,000 per month for stationery
- $6,800 for groceries
- $7,200 for restaurant meals
- $8,000 for gifts
- $60,000 for office space and private staff
- $160,000 for vacation rentals
- $300,000 for intercontinental private jet travel
- Furthermore, Anne requested $450,000 to cover a 10-day vacation to St. Barts for her and the kids over winter break.
Anne Dias (center, via Getty)
Notre Dame Restoration
Anne was one of the biggest supporters of the restoration of Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris, which was severely damaged by a fire in April 2019. Anne was one of the largest financial contributors to the restoration and helped raise a total of $57 million from 45,000 American donors. In total, $1 billion was spent on restoration efforts.
Early Life & Education
Anne Dias Griffin was born in 1970 in Strasbourg, France. She completed her undergraduate studies at Sciences Po Paris, one of France's most prestigious institutions for political science and economics. Dias Griffin went on to earn her master's degree in economics from EHESS (École des hautes études en sciences sociales) in Paris. Her academic journey continued in the United States, where she graduated with an MBA from Harvard Business School in 1997. During her studies, she gained valuable experience through internships at Goldman Sachs in London and Paris. Her educational background combines European and American business perspectives, which would later prove valuable in her investment career. Before starting her own firm, she worked at Soros Fund Management and Viking Global Investors, where she gained expertise in long/short equity investments. This diverse educational foundation and early career experience prepared her for founding Aragon Global Management in 2001.
Aragon Global Management
Based in Chicago, Aragon Global Management was launched with an investment from Tiger Management founder Julian Robertson. Aragon specialized in global long/short equity strategies and managed over $200 million in assets at its peak. The fund was notable for its research-intensive approach and focus on consumer, technology, and media sectors. Dias Griffin closed Aragon at the end of 2011, returning capital to investors. The fund achieved consistent returns and was recognized for its disciplined investment strategy and risk management practices. Anne reopened Aragon to outside investors in June 2021.
