Ackman as depicted by Dealbreaker” in 2019. (Photo credit: Dealbreaker)
Bill Ackman has been on a “crusade” to get his way in having university presidents whom he disagrees with, fired. Similar to his “crusade” in betting against Herbalife, which he embarrassingly failed at.
Bill Ackman is on a “crusade” to get university Presidents fired. He seems like a man who is a sucker for a “crusade”.
In 2019, his hedge fund, Pershing Square Capital, exited Herbalife, ending an epic five-year, $1 billion bet its stock price would crash to zero. Ackman had expected the stock to tank further over time, enabling him to make a windfall through a short sale.
But the strategy backfired after his nemesis, billionaire Carl Icahn, took the opposite position against Ackman.
Could his strategy with relation to wanting to get university presidents fired, backfire too. A strategy many are calling a strategy of bullying and harassmet.
Many of his fellow members of the Jewish community are speaking out against this strategy.
Because presumably the fear is that this kind of behaviour only increases real hate against Jews – not the often unfounded “antisemitism” allegations that Ackman is claiming to fight against – his fight very much seems like cases we so often see where “antisemitism” is cited as a a cover to simply try and shield Israel from criticism.
Larry Summers penned an article recently which was highly critical of the the tactics used by others Ackman rabidly supports.
Summers said:
“How are we now to reconcile our hurt, our fear, our rage with our responsibility?
Not by doxxing and inciting mobs to threaten even those whose views we abhor most.
Not by supporting violence that touches innocents beyond that which is absolutely necessary for successful and enduring self-defense.
Not by seeking to shut down criticism of governments or countries to whom we feel loyalty.
Not by calling for guilt by association or discipline or humiliation of anyone without due process.
Not by suggesting ours is the only group suffering injustice or rightly feeling under threat.
To do any of these things would be in some way to lower ourselves to the level of those hurting us most. That is what they most want. We must not and will not give it to them.”
Ackman is not only “giving it to them” – he has become a leading cheerleader for it.
A Harvard economics professor, Jason Furman recently weighed in – he wants Bill Ackman to know that two wrongs don’t make a right.
“A Harvard economics professor has criticized calls from executives like Bill Ackman to publicly out students who blamed Israel for Hamas attacks.
Jason Furman, who was an Obama-era economic advisor, argued that those calling for students to be outed and shamed should bear in mind that “two wrongs do not make a right.”
Furman went on to say:
“Publishing lists of students and personal information under the headings ‘terrorist,’ ‘genocidal murderer’ and ‘antisemite’ is just wrong in any circumstance, and especially when many of the people named have nothing to do with the statement,” Jason Furman wrote in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter”.
Ackman responded in typical “liar” and “crybaby” style by just doubling own on his position, as he did for years with Herballife, by saying:
“It is not harassment to seek to understand the character of the candidates that you are considering for employment.”
Well, we sure are finding more about Ackman’s famous “liar” and “crybaby” character.
