'''William Albert Ackman''' (born May 11, 1966) is an American billionaire hedge fund manager, investor, and philanthropist. He is the founder and CEO of Pershing Square Capital Management, a New York-based hedge fund known for its activist investment strategies and strong performance in equities.
Ackman has gained prominence for his outspoken advocacy on issues including campus [[antisemitism]], support for law enforcement, strong backing of Israel's self-defence, and criticism of [i]''progressive[/i] '' policies such as wealth taxes and certain university diversity initiatives. A [[Harvard University ]] alumnus, he has been a vocal critic of perceived institutional failures at elite universities, particularly in addressing antisemitism following the October 7, 2023, Hamas attacks on Israel. Ackman endorsed [[Donald Trump ]] in the 2024 U.S. presidential election and has described Trump as "the most pro-business president we've ever had."<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.cnbc.com/2025/10/21/bill-ackman-calls-trump-the-most-pro-business-president-weve-ever-had.html |title=Bill Ackman calls Trump the 'most pro-business president we've ever had' |website=CNBC |date=October 21, 2025 |access-date=February 8, 2026}}</ref> He has also made significant donations supporting immigration enforcement officers and pro-business, anti-progressive causes.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://nypost.com/2026/01/11/us-news/billionaire-bill-ackman-donates-10k-to-gofundme-for-ice-agent-who-fatally-shot-renee-nicole-good/ |title=Billionaire Bill Ackman donates $10K to GoFundMe for ICE agent who fatally shot Renee Nicole Good |website=New York Post |date=January 11, 2026 |access-date=February 8, 2026}}</ref>
== Early life and education ==
Ackman was born in [[New York]] and graduated from Harvard College with a Bachelor of Arts degree magna cum laude. He later earned an [[MBA ]] from Harvard Business School.
== Career ==
== Criticism of universities ==
As a prominent Harvard alumnus, Ackman led high-profile criticism of Harvard's leadership following the [[Oct 7 War|October 7, 2023]], attacks and subsequent campus unrest. He called for the resignation of then-President Claudine Gay over her handling of antisemitism complaints and congressional testimony responses, describing them as reflecting "moral bankruptcy." His efforts highlighted concerns about free speech, [[DEI]] policies, and institutional bias, earning praise from [[conservative ]] outlets for challenging elite academia.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://freebeacon.com/latest-news/i-am-sorry-harvard-president-does-damage-control-on-disastrous-anti-semitism-testimony/ |title='I Am Sorry': Harvard President Does Damage Control on Disastrous [[Anti-Semitism]] Testimony |website=Washington Free Beacon |date=December 8, 2023 |access-date=February 8, 2026}}</ref>
== Political views ==