Comparison · 10 material differences
CORE: vs The Battery
This comparison was generated on request from the records. It carries no editorial verdict and is not indexed. The published comparisons are listed on the compare page.
Read down each column for one organization, across a row for the difference. A bronze mark at the left of a cell means the organizations differ on that row. A dash or “not published” means the organization does not disclose the fact; it is not a zero.
Verified September 2026
Private club
Verified September 2026 CORE:
The club describes "a global community of relentlessly curious individuals" whose members "shape the worlds of art and architecture, sports and entertainment, technology and…
Private club
The Battery
The club says it exists "to play host to bright minds with big ideas"; its own copy describes a clubhouse for the curious rather than a professional or income band
What the records say
- Maximum age at joining: CORE:: No published maximum age at joining; The Battery: Under 30 membership is "available to applicants under 30 years old".
- Geographic restriction: CORE:: No published geographic restriction; The Battery: Out of Town membership is "available to members who don't have a home within a 100 mile drive of the club".
- Annual dues: CORE:: Annual fee reported by Elle in June 2018.; The Battery: Not publicly disclosed. Separate rates exist for Member, Partner, Out of Town and Under 30, and the Battery Alliance upgrade is charged in addition, but no amounts are published..
Side by side
| CORE: | The Battery | |
|---|---|---|
| Profile | ||
| Type | Private club | Private club |
| Founded | 2005 (Founded by Jennie Enterprise (nee Saunders), previously the founder of Reebok Sports Clubs, with seed money and space from property developer Aby Rosen. One hundred founder members were each asked to contribute US$100,000 and to nominate another person.) | 2013 (Founded by Michael and Xochi Birch, the founders of the social network Bebo, in a converted building at 717 Battery Street in San Francisco.) |
| Headquarters | New York, United States | San Francisco, United States |
| Geographic footprint | One clubhouse in New York and a Milan community operating from a temporary lounge while a permanent palazzo is restored | A single clubhouse in San Francisco, with reciprocal access to more than 70 private clubs in 23 countries through the optional Battery Alliance |
| Members | 2,000as of September 2026 | Not publicly disclosed |
| Chapters | 2 | 1 |
| Primary audience | The club describes "a global community of relentlessly curious individuals" whose members "shape the worlds of art and architecture, sports and entertainment, technology and science, fashion and design and beauty, investment and finance, culinary and hospitality, industry and biotech" | The club says it exists "to play host to bright minds with big ideas"; its own copy describes a clubhouse for the curious rather than a professional or income band |
| Typical member | Members are drawn from the wealthier end of New York business, finance and cultural life. Founder members named in press coverage included J. Christopher Burch, Millard Drexler, Ari Emanuel, Aby Rosen, Steven Roth, Stephen Schwarzman and Terry Semel; the club has said it maintains an equal number of female and male members. | The club publishes no occupational or wealth criteria. Its own materials emphasise conversation, cultural programming and collective giving through Battery Powered rather than industry or seniority. |
| Qualification | ||
| Maximum age at joining | No published maximum age at joining | Under 30 membership is "available to applicants under 30 years old"verified September 2026 · source ↗ |
| Geographic restriction | No published geographic restriction | Out of Town membership is "available to members who don't have a home within a 100 mile drive of the club"Distance is expressed as a driving distance from the clubhouse.verified September 2026 · source ↗ |
| Invitation required | Not documented | No |
| Sponsor required | Not documented | Yes |
| Application process | The club's membership page invites prospective members to submit an enquiry rather than to apply directly, and states only that CORE: curates its community. There is no published sponsorship, committee or interview stage, and no application form is exposed publicly. | The club sets out four steps: complete the online application form; obtain a nomination; attend an open house, described as "an afternoon at the club and a chance to meet both members and our team"; and then, on approval, receive a membership kit. The club states that "Membership is by introduction, and it begins with a conversation." Applicants choose between Member, Partner, Out of Town and Under 30 types, with The Battery Alliance available as an upgrade. |
| Selectivity | Not publicly disclosed. The club has never published acceptance figures or waitlist information. | Not publicly disclosed. The club publishes no acceptance rate, waitlist size or member count. |
| Cost | ||
| Annual dues | Annual fee reported by Elle in June 2018.verified September 2026 · source ↗ | Not publicly disclosed. Separate rates exist for Member, Partner, Out of Town and Under 30, and the Battery Alliance upgrade is charged in addition, but no amounts are published.verified September 2026 · source ↗ |
| Initiation fee | Individual initiation fee as reported by Elle in June 2018, alongside a US$17,000 annual fee. This is the most recent figure attached to a named publication and is now eight years old.verified September 2026 · source ↗ | Not publicly disclosed. The club's apply page lists membership types without prices and no figure appears in its Charter.verified September 2026 · source ↗ |
| Membership term | Could not be independently verified | The Charter contains sections on Membership Duration and Membership Renewal; specific terms are not published, and Lifetime Membership classes exist alongside renewable membership |
| Structure | ||
| Meeting frequency | The clubhouse operates daily, with a curated calendar of cultural and social programming | The clubhouse operates daily, with a member events calendar covering talks, tastings, music and social nights |
| Peer forums | Not documented | Not documented |
| Confidentiality | Could not be independently verified | House rules ask members not to take, post or tag people in photos, and to put phones and laptops away in public areas during social hours |
| Time commitment | Not documented | Not documented |
| Organized as | Clubhouse premises, Event-focused | Clubhouse premises, Event-focused |
| Confidential peer forums | No | No |
| Local chapters | No | No |
| Virtual membership | No | No |
| Online community | Not documented | Not documented |
| Member directory | Not documented | Not documented |
| Events | Yes | Yes |
| Programming | ||
| Educational programming | Partial | Yes |
| Leadership development | No | No |
| Retreats | No | No |
| Travel | Partial | Yes |
| Family programming | Not documented | Partial |
| Spouse and partner programming | Not documented | Yes |
| Next-generation programming | Not documented | No |
| Investment discussions | Not documented | Not documented |
| Investment opportunities | No | No |
| Philanthropic component | Yes | Yes |
| Networking emphasis | High | Medium |
| Social emphasis | High | High |
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Last verified: not yet reviewed
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Sources
Drawn from the sources listed on each page: CORE: · The Battery