When US Soccer needed to find a coach capable of not embarrassing the country on home soil during the 2026 World Cup, it turned to a familiar playbook: get a billionaire to write the check. Kenneth Griffin, founder and CEO of hedge fund giant Citadel, provided the philanthropic leadership gift that made hiring Mauricio Pochettino possible.
The appointment, announced on September 10, 2024, brought one of European football’s most accomplished managers to a federation that has historically struggled to attract top-tier coaching talent. The reason is straightforward: money. Pochettino’s compensation package reportedly reaches up to $6 million per year, plus a $2.5 million signing bonus, making him the highest-paid figure in US Soccer history.
How a hedge fund billionaire became US Soccer’s biggest benefactor
Griffin’s involvement in this deal wasn’t a random act of generosity. The Citadel CEO has been building a track record as a soccer patron, having previously donated $8 million for youth soccer facilities in Chicago and Miami-Dade County. His connection to this particular hiring came through Scott Goodwin, co-founder of Diameter Capital, who helped facilitate the funding initiative.
Pochettino reportedly earned approximately $5 million in his first seven months on the job, from September 2024 through March 2025. That figure includes the signing bonus, which means his base salary alone puts him in rarefied air for international football managers.
