Here's Why Billionaires Stanley Druckenmiller and Ken Griffin Are Loading Up on Eli Lilly Stock

The adage that "birds of a feather flock together" doesn't always apply to billionaire investors. Most of these super-successful individuals have their own unique strategies that are highly differentiated from other approaches.

However, that doesn't mean high-profile investors don't sometimes see eye-to-eye on a given stock. For example, Stanley Druckenmiller and Ken Griffin both loaded up on Eli Lilly (NYSE: LLY) stock in the second quarter of 2026. Here's why these billionaires are on the same wavelength when it comes to this big pharma stock.

Ken Griffin. Image source: Getty Images.

Capitalizing on a great buying opportunity

Griffin's Citadel Advisors hedge fund increased its stake in Lilly by a whopping 291% in Q2. The drugmaker now ranks as Citadel's eighth-largest holding, valued at roughly $1.1 billion at the end of the quarter.

Druckenmiller led his Duquesne Family Office to make a more modest purchase of Lilly in Q2, initiating a new position by scooping up 12,380 shares. What's striking about this move is that the billionaire fully exited his stake in Lilly in the third quarter of 2025.

I suspect that both Griffin and Druckenmiller shared a similar thought process when they bought the pharma stock. They undoubtedly appreciate Lilly's dominance in the diabetes and obesity drug markets, with sales soaring for the company's Mounjaro and Zepbound products.

The two men also almost certainly saw an opportunity to buy Lilly at a discount and capitalized on that opportunity. Although Lilly's shares are now up by a solid single-digit percentage year to date, the stock fell as much as 23% below its previous high by late April. We don't know exactly when Griffin and Druckenmiller made their purchases, but I'd bet that it happened earlier in Q2 rather than later.

Is Eli Lilly stock still a buy?

Other investors shouldn't buy Eli Lilly (or any other stock, for that matter) solely because Griffin and Druckenmiller did. That's especially the case when the dynamics have changed somewhat since the two billionaires' purchases.

However, I nonetheless view Lilly as a good pick right now. The company continues to generate exceptionally strong revenue and earnings growth, led by Mounjaro and Zepbound but with solid contributions from other drugs.

Lilly should have several new drugs that serve as important growth drivers. Foundayo, a once-daily pill that's already approved for obesity and awaits approval for treating type 2 diabetes, stands near the top of the list. The company's acquisitions strategy is also adding more promising pipeline candidates.

Don't invest in Eli Lilly because of what anyone else does. The stock has enough reasons to like it all on its own.

Keith Speights has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Eli Lilly. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.