‘It’s a narrower road than it was eight weeks ago,’ Mr. Griffin said at an investment conference in Miami.
After initially staying out of the 2024 presidential race, billionaire hedge fund manager Ken Griffin has thrown his support behind Nikki Haley as she challenges Donald Trump for the Republican presidential nomination.
A spokesperson for Mr. Griffin said he made two contributions, one in December and another in January, totaling $5 million, to a super PAC backing Ms. Haley’s campaign.
The second donation was made in early January, before the Iowa caucuses, which Mr. Trump won with 51 percent of the vote. Ms. Haley finished third with 19 percent, just 2 percent behind Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who has since dropped out of the race.
The donations were disclosed on Jan. 30 after Mr. Griffin mentioned earlier in the day at an investment conference in Miami that he had supported Ms. Haley’s campaign. However, Mr. Griffin did not say whether he would continue supporting Ms. Haley.
Ms. Haley’s second loss to Mr. Trump in New Hampshire was seen by some as a clear indicator of voter sentiment, especially since her chances of winning had been considered favorable due to the state’s high number of independent voters.
But the back-to-back, double-digit losses did not discourage Ms. Haley, who argued that her performance has shown the strength of her candidacy.
Being the only challenger of weight to Mr. Trump in New Hampshire, Ms. Haley managed to more than double the percentage of voters that favored her in Iowa—from 19 to 43—whereas Mr. Trump scored 51 percent in Iowa and 54 percent in the Granite State.
Ms. Haley will continue to the contest in her home state of South Carolina on February 24. Fundraisers have been scheduled for her this week and the next.
“It’s a narrower road than it was eight weeks ago,” Mr. Griffin said at the investment conference, commenting on Ms. Haley’s chance of securing the nomination.
By Wim De Gent
