Robert Granieri (born 1972) is an American billionaire financier, philanthropist, and co-founder of Jane Street Capital. [1] [2]
Granieri was raised near Norristown, Pennsylvania, where his family operated the banquet hall Chateau Granieri. [3] After attending Methacton High School, he earned a bachelor's degree from the University of Pennsylvania in 1992. [3]
He began his trading career at Susquehanna International Group, leaving in 1999 to launch Jane Street with colleagues Michael Jenkins, Timothy Reynolds, and Marc Gerstein. The new firm was subsequently sued by Susquehanna for allegedly poaching employees in breach of non-compete agreements; the case later became dormant. Over time, the other co-founders departed the firm. Tim Reynolds left in 2012 to establish art schools and private resorts, while Mike Jenkins became known for his political donations in New York City and for owning a pet pot-bellied pig. Jane Street grew into a leading electronic liquidity provider, accounting for roughly one-quarter of U.S. ETF volume by 2024. The firm is structured as a partnership without formal titles. [3]
In 2024, Jane Street filed suit against two former employees for allegedly misappropriating proprietary strategies, a case that precipitated an investigation by the Securities and Exchange Board of India into options-market manipulation allegations and later banned the firm. [4] Separately, Granieri was an unwitting donor to a failed plot to overthrow the South Sudanese government; [5] [6] U.S. prosecutors later secured guilty pleas from the organizers. [3]
Outside finance, Granieri financed the Scarlet Pearl Casino casino resort in D'Iberville, Mississippi, [7] and is known for supporting effective-altruism causes, criminal-justice reform, psychedelic research, and evacuation efforts during the 2021 Taliban takeover of Afghanistan. Donations are frequently made anonymously. [3]