Billionaire Ken Griffin has acquired a second original copy of the US Constitution via a private sale for an undisclosed amount, making him the owner of the only two known surviving copies in private hands. The first copy, purchased for $43.2 million in 2021, is on view at the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia, while the second will be exhibited at the South Street Seaport Museum in Manhattan starting May 27 as part of a show on American history for the country's 250th anniversary. Separately, a union for the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts has filed unfair-labor-practice charges with the National Labor Relations Board, accusing the center of unlawfully firing dozens of employees under the guise of a planned two-year closure for renovations.
This matters because Griffin's acquisition highlights the intersection of extreme private wealth and the preservation of foundational historical documents, raising questions about public access to cultural heritage. The Kennedy Center labor dispute underscores ongoing tensions between institutional leadership and workers, especially as the center faces legal challenges over its closure plans amid declining ticket sales and artist cancellations following political controversy. Together, these stories reflect broader debates about ownership, labor rights, and the role of art and cultural institutions in society.