FROM PAGE 1A HOTEL
in the swank hotel, secluded behind a wall of palm trees and other dense foliage. At the time, Palm Beach was nearing a decision to tell hotels to stop taking reservations. The company said its reservation was made before the stop-reserving-rooms order, effective this Monday, was issued.
The cops were there this week — not to shut it down but to provide security. Two imposing, blue-andwhite Town of Palm Beach police cruisers were parked in front.
The market-making firm said setting up the trading operation took roughly a week. The firm said the move is for business continuity, but that hasn’t stopped employees and their guests from enjoying the hotel’s private beach, poolside cabanas, and gourmet dining.
Griffin is no stranger to Palm Beach — he has bought more than $300 million worth of beachfront property within five miles of the Four Seasons and less than a mile from the Trump Organization’s Mar-a-Lago club.
And though he made his $12.3 billion fortune in Chicago, Griffin was born in Daytona Beach and largely grew up in Boca Raton.
Over the past decade, Griffin has also been one of the most prolific political donors in the country, largely backing Republicans. He was DeSantis’ biggest backer in the 2018 gubernatorial race, giving $5.75 million to a political committee backing DeSantis, and he gave $5 million in 2016 to a super PAC supporting Sen. Marco Rubio’s failed presidential bid.
As of midnight on Monday, hotels in Palm Beach County were barred from making new reservations except for “critical lodgers,” which includes healthcare workers, National Guard members, government officials and other essential personnel. The website for the Four Seasons indicates that it’s not taking reservations until June. Recent socialmedia posts from the resort have indicated that guests were quarantining at the hotel.
The police department declined to say whether the patrol cars had been requested by the hotel or Citadel, saying it doesn’t discuss operations or resource deployment. A spokesman said the department regularly stations cars in front of hotels in town.
The firm opened a temporary trading floor on Monday, according to an internal memo first reported on by
Bloomberg. The trading floor has a capacity of 50 people, according to the memo. The firm also opened a temporary office in Greenwich, Connecticut, Bloomberg reported.
Citadel said the moves are designed to ensure the firm, which facilitates trades between investors, can continue to provide liquidity to investors.
“Up to this point, we have aggressively positioned to maintain business continuity and stay in the market through a number of steps across our global office footprint. In recent weeks, we have split teams into additional space in New York and Greenwich and now have established an additional office in Florida,” the firm said. “We believe this business
Ben Wieder: 202-383-6125, benbwieder