Bill Ackman

Early Life & Education

Son of Lawrence and Ronnie Ackman; grew up in Westchester County, NY
Graduated from Horace Greeley High School, then earned a BA in Social Studies and an MBA from Harvard, where he was inspired by The Intelligent Investor

Career Highlights

Gotham Partners (1992–2002)

Co-founded with David Berkowitz; grew to ~$500M AUM. Attempted to purchase Rockefeller Center in 1995
Firm wound down after underperforming assets forced liquidation in 2002

MBIA Short & Activism

In 2002, Ackman famously shorted insurer MBIA and bought credit default swaps, predicting its exposure to subprime mortgage risk
Faced SEC and NY AG scrutiny, but was vindicated during the 2007–08 financial crisis

Pershing Square Capital (2004–Present)

Founded Pershing Square in 2004; specialized in activist investing
Notable maneuvers: Canadian Pacific proxy fight, bets on Chipotle, Target, Valeant, and a high-profile short against Herbalife (featured in Betting on Zero)
In 2020, he generated ~$2.6B via hedges prior to the COVID‑19 crash and later profited by reinvesting

Net Worth & Philanthropy

Estimated net worth: ~$9–9.4B as of mid‑2025
Signatory of The Giving Pledge; co-founded Pershing Square Foundation, which has granted over $750M to causes including education, healthcare, arts, human rights, and urban development
Personal philanthropy: major donations to Jewish history center, Innocence Project, Planned Parenthood

Political & Public Influence

Historically donated to Democrats such as Blumenthal and Schumer, and supported Michael Bloomberg
Shifted to endorse Trump in 2024, citing concerns over Biden’s support for Israel
Vocal in the Israel‑Hamas Gaza debate; called for deployment of B‑2 bombers and later advocated direct military action
Used social media to pressure Harvard amid campus protests, contributing to President Claudine Gay’s resignation

Tennis Stunt & Recent Media Reaction

In July 2025, Ackman entered a pro tennis event with a wildcard invitation, playing doubles with Jack Sock. His poor performance sparked widespread ridicule
He offered a $10M donation to the Tennis Hall of Fame, which was declined "for optics." He then directed the gift to a youth tennis program
The episode drew criticism over perceived privilege: "the biggest joke I’ve ever watched in professional tennis" — Andy Roddick

Personal Life & Lifestyle

First married to Karen Herskovitz (1994–2016), with whom he has three daughters; remarried Israeli-American designer Neri Oxman in 2019, with whom he has one child
Owns a Gulfstream G550 jet and a $90M Manhattan penthouse