Bill Ackman Biography
Bill Ackman is an American investor, hedge fund manager as well as a philanthropist who was born in the USA as William Albert Ackman.
Ackman is considered by some to be a contrarian investor, however, he considers himself an activist investor. Ackman is the founder as well as the CEO of Pershing Square Capital Management.
10 Quick Facts About Bill Ackman
- Name: Bill Ackman
- Age: 55 years old as of 2021
- Birthday: 11 May
- Zodiac Sign: Taurus
- Height: 6 feet 3 inches
- Nationality: American
- Occupation: Investor, Hedge fund manager, Philanthropist
- Marital Status: Married
- Salary: To be updated.
- Net worth: $2.9 billion USD as of 2021
Bill Ackman Age
Ackman is 55 years old as of 2021, he was born on 11 May 1966, in the USA. He celebrates his birthday on May 11 every year and his birth sign is Taurus.
Bill Ackman Height
Ackman stands at a height of 6 feet 3 inches.
Bill Ackman Education
Ackman received a bachelor of arts magna cum laude in history from Harvard College in the year 1988. Ackman’s thesis was “Scaling the Ivy Wall: the Jewish and Asian American Experience in Harvard Admissions.” He then received an MBA from Harvard Business School.
Bill Ackman Family
Bill was born to Ronnie I. (née Posner) and Lawrence David Ackman, chairman of a New York real estate financing firm, Ackman-Ziff Real Estate Group, and his family is Jewish. He was born in the USA and raised along with his sister Jeanne Ackman by his parent in Chappaqua, New York.
Bill Ackman Wife
Ackman is married to Neri Oxman. The couple married in January 2019 at the Central Synagogue in Manhattan, and they had their first child together in spring 2019.
In late 2019, emails obtained by The Boston Globe showed Ackman requesting that the then MIT Media Lab director avoid naming his wife (Oxman) when responding to press inquiries about a $150,000 gift given to her lab in the year 2015 by Jeffrey Epstein.
Ackman was previously married to Karen Ann Herskovitz, a landscape architect. The couple tied the knot on 10 July 1994, and they have three children: Eloise Ackman, Lucy Ackman, and Liza Ackman. On 22 December 2016, it was reported that the couple had divorced. Ackman owned a Gulfstream G550 business jet in 2013.
Bill Ackman Children
Ackman has a total of four children from his two relationships. Three children are known as Eloise Ackman, Lucy Ackman, and Liza Ackman with his ex-wife Karen and one with his current wife Neri.
Bill Ackman Net Worth
Ackman has an estimated net worth of $2.9 billion USD as of 2021. This includes his assets, money, and income. His primary source of income is his career as an investor, hedge fund manager, and philanthropist. Through his various sources of income, Ackman has been able to accumulate a good fortune but prefers to lead a modest lifestyle.
Bill Ackman Measurements and Facts
Here are some interesting facts and body measurements you should know about Bill Ackman.
Bill Ackman Wiki
- Full Names: William Albert Ackman
- Popular As: Investor
- Gender: Male
- Occupation / Profession: Investor, hedge fund manager as well as a philanthropist
- Nationality: American
- Race / Ethnicity: Not Available
- Religion: Not Known
- Sexual Orientation: Straight
Bill Ackman Birthday
- Age / How Old?: 55 years old as of 2021
- Zodiac Sign: Taurus
- Date of Birth: 11 May 1966
- Place of Birth: USA
- Birthday: May 11
Bill Ackman Body Measurements
- Body Measurements: Not Available
- Height / How Tall?: 6 feet 3 inches
- Weight: Moderate
- Eye Color: Not Available
- Hair Color: Not Available
- Shoe Size: Not Available
Bill Ackman Family and Relationship
- Father (Dad): Lawrence David Ackman
- Mother: Ronnie I. (née Posner)
- Siblings (Brothers and Sisters): Jeanne Ackman
- Marital Status: Married
- Wife/Spouse: Married to Neri Oxman, Karen Ann Herskovitz(divorced)
- Dating / Girlfriend: Not Applicable
- Children: Sons (Not known) Daughter(s) (Eloise Ackman, Lucy Ackman, Liza Ackman)
Bill Ackman Net Worth and Salary
- Net Worth: $2.9 billion USD
- Salary: Under Review
- Source of Income: Investor, hedge fund manager as well as a philanthropist
Bill Ackman House and Cars
- Place of living: US
- Cars: Car Brand to be Updated
Bill Ackman Pershing Square
With $54 million from his personal funds and from his former business partner Leucadia National, Ackman began Pershing Square Capital Management in the year 2004. The firm bought a significant share in the fast-food chain Wendy’s International and successfully pressured it to sell its Tim Hortons doughnut chain in the following year.
In the year 2006, Wendy’s spun off Tim Hortons through an IPO and raised $670 million for Wendy’s investors. After Bill sold his shares at a substantial profit after a dispute over executive succession, as well as the stock price collapsed. This raised criticism that the sale of Wendy’s fastest-growing unit left the company in a weaker market position. Bill blamed the poor performance on their new CEO.
His funds owned a 10% stake in Target Corporation in December 2007, valued at $4.2 billion through the purchase of stock and derivatives. His funds then held a 38% stake in Borders Group in December 2010, and on 6 December 2010, Bill indicated he would finance a buyout of Barnes & Noble for US$900M.
In January 2009, at a panel meeting discussing Bernie Madoff, Bill defended his longtime friend, Ezra Merkin, saying, “Has Ezra committed a crime? I don’t think so,” and “I think(Merkin)is an honest person, an intelligent person, an interesting person, a smart investor.” Ezra was charged with civil fraud in April 2009 by the State of New York for “secretly steering $2.4 billion in client money into Bernard Madoff’s Ponzi fraud without their permission.” In June 2012, a settlement was reached requiring Merkin to pay $405 million to victims including the Metropolitan Council on Jewish Poverty.
Pershing Square Capital Management launched a new closed-end fund called Pershing Square Holdings in December 2012. It raised $3 billion in an October 2014 IPO on Amsterdam’s Euronext stock market.
Bill started buying J. C. Penney shares in 2010, paying an average of $22 for 39 million shares or 18% of Penney’s stock.
In August 2013, Bill’s two-year campaign to transform the department store came to an abrupt end after he then decided to step down from the board following an argument with fellow board members.
Bill Ackman Hedge Fund
In January 2015, LCH Investments named Bill one of the world’s top 20 hedge fund managers January 2015 after Pershing Square delivered $4.5 billion in net gains for investors in the year 2014. It brought the fund’s lifetime gains to $11.6 billion since its launch in 2004 through year-end 2014.
Bill Ackman Herbalife
Bill issued a research report that was critical of Herbalife’s multi-level marketing business model, calling it a pyramid scheme in December 2012. He disclosed that his hedge fund, Pershing Square Capital Management, sold short the company’s shares directly (not with derivatives) starting in May 2012. This caused Herbalife’s stock price to drop. Bill spent $50 million on a public relations campaign against Herbalife in 2014, which was designed to hurt the company’s stock price.
His position on Herbalife led to a discussion on live television with Herbalife supporter Carl Icahn on 25 January 2013 for nearly half an hour on CNBC. During the segment, Carl called Ackman “a crybaby in the schoolyard” and claimed that going public with his short position would eventually force Bill into the “mother of all short squeezes.” Ackman admitted on Bloomberg Television on 22 November 2013 that Pershing Square’s open short position in Herbalife was “$400 million to $500 million” in the red, but that he wouldn’t be squeezed out and would hold the short “to the end of the earth”.
Bill told Reuters that he had covered his short-sell position in November 2017, but he would continue to bet against Herbalife using put options with no more than 3% of Pershing Square’s funds.
He exited his near billion-dollar bet against Herbalife on 28 February 2018, after the company’s stock price continued to rise, choosing to build his position in United Technology instead.
Bill Ackman Stocks
On 25 January 2013, Ackman’s position on Herbalife led to a discussion on live television with Herbalife supporter Carl Icahn for nearly half an hour on CNBC.
In an emotional interview with CNBC, Ackman called upon President Trump for a “30-day shutdown” of the American economy to slow the spread of coronavirus and minimize loss of life and ensuing economic destruction resulting from the shutdown on 18 March 2020. Ackman warned that without intervention, hotel stocks were “going to zero” and said that America could “end as we know it.” He also cautioned U.S. companies to stop stock buyback programs because “hell is coming.”
Bill Ackman CNBC
On 18 March 2020, in an emotional interview with CNBC, Ackman called upon President Trump for a “30-day shutdown” of the American economy to slow the spread of coronavirus and minimize loss of life and ensuing economic destruction resulting from the shutdown.
He warned that without intervention, hotel stocks were “going to zero” and said that America could “end as we know it.” He also cautioned U.S. companies to stop stock buyback programs because “hell is coming.”
Ackman later received criticism for actively buying discounted equity stakes in the very companies he was warning could fail; however, Ackman already had realized roughly half of the gains prior to appearing during the CNBC interview.
Bill Ackman Portfolio
Ahead of the year 2020 stock market crash, Ackman hedged Pershing Square’s portfolio, risking $27 million to purchase credit protection, insuring the portfolio against steep market losses. The hedge was effective, generating $2.6 billion in less than one month.
Bill Ackman House
Ackman bought the Beresford, an iconic luxury co-op on the Upper West Side with celebrity residents past and present including Diane Sawyer, Brian Williams, and Jerry Seinfeld.
Over the past three months, Mr. Ackman has bought two units on the eighth floor of the pre-war building for a combined $22.078 million, according to property records.
The fund manager who founded Pershing Square Capital Management bought the apartments to be closer to his three children, who reside at the Beresford in a unit Mr. Ackman used to share with his ex-wife, Mansion Global has learned.
Bill Ackman Valeant
Bill along with Valeant Pharmaceuticals’ outgoing CEO, J. Michael Pearson, and the company’s former interim CEO, Howard Schiller, testified before the United States Senate Special Committee on Aging On April 27, 2016. The testifying panel then answered questions related to the Committee’s concerns about repercussions to patients and also the health care system posed by Valeant’s business model and controversial pricing practices.
In March 2017, Bill sold his remaining 27.2 million share position in Valeant to the Investment Bank Jefferies for about $300 million.
Bill Ackman Short
Ackman reported covering his short position on MBIA on January 16, 2009, according to the 13D filed with the SEC.
Bill Ackman Holdings
Ackman’s Pershing Square Tontine Holdings, Ltd, filed $3 billion for the largest-ever blank-check company IPO in June 2020.
Bill Ackman Investments
Ackman founded the investment firm Gotham Partners with fellow Harvard graduate David P. Berkowitz in 1992. The firm then made small investments in public companies.
Bill Ackman Carl Icahn
A feud developed between Ackman and Carl Icahn over a deal involving Hallwood Realty in 2003. They both agreed to a “schmuck insurance”, under which, if Carl were to sell the shares within 3 years and made a profit of 10% or more, he and Bill would split the proceeds.
Carl then paid $80 per share. HRPT Property Trust acquired Hallwood, paying $136.16 per share in April 2004. Under the terms, Carl owed Ackman investors about $4.5 million, but he refused to pay and Ackman sued him. Eight years later, the Court forced Carl to pay $4.5 million, plus 9% interest per year since the date of the sale.
Bill Ackman Book
- Security Analysis by Benjamin Graham
- The Warren Buffet Way by Robert G. Hagstrom
- Confidence Game: How Hedge Fund Manager Bill Ackman Called Wall Street’s Bluff by Christine Richard
- Beating the Street by Peter Lynch
- Quality of Earnings by Thornton O’Glove
- Margin of Safety: Risk-Averse Value Investing Strategies for the Thoughtful Investor by Seth Klarman
- The Intelligent Investor by Benjamin Graham
- One Up on Wall Street: How To Use What You Already Know To Make Money In The Market by Peter Lynch and John Rothchild
- You Can Be a Stock Market Genius: Uncover the Secret Hiding Places of Stock Market Profits by Joel Greenblatt
- The Essays of Warren Buffett: Lessons for Corporate America by Lawrence A. Cunningham and Warren Buffett
- Fooling Some of the People All of the Time, A Long Short (and Now Complete) Story, Updated with New Epilogue by David Einhorn and Joel Greenblatt
Bill Ackman Philanthropy
Bill has given to charitable causes such as the Center for Jewish History, where he spearheaded a successful effort to retire $30 million in debt, personally contributing $6.8 million. The donation and those of Bruce Berkowitz, founder of Fairholme Capital Management, and Joseph Steinberg, president of Leucadia National, were also the three largest individual gifts the center has ever received.
His foundation donated $1.1 million to the Innocence Project in New York City and Centurion Ministries in Princeton, N.J. Bill is a signatory of The Giving Pledge, committing himself to give away at least 50% of his wealth to charitable causes.
He co-founded The Pershing Square Foundation in 2006, alongside his then-wife Karen, to support innovation in economic development, education, healthcare, human rights, arts, and urban development. Since its inception, Pershing Square Foundation has committed more than $400 million in grants and social investments. The Ackmans were on The Chronicle of Philanthropy’s “Philanthropy 50” list of the most generous donors in 2011.
Challenged Athletes Foundation, which provides sports equipment to those with physical disabilities, honored Ackman at a gala fundraiser at the Waldorf Astoria hotel in July 2014 in New York City for helping raise a record $2.3 million.
Bill endorsed Michael Bloomberg as a prospective candidate for President of the United States in the 2016 presidential election. He is also a longtime donor to Democratic candidates and organizations, including Richard Blumenthal, Chuck Schumer, Robert Menendez, the Democratic National Committee, and the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee.
Frequently Asked Questions About Bill Ackman
Who is Bill Ackman?
Bill Ackman is a famous investor, hedge fund manager as well as a philanthropist who was born in the USA as William Albert Ackman.
How old is Bill Ackman?
Ackman is an American national born on 11 May 11, 1966, in the USA.
How tall is Bill Ackman?
Ackman stands at a height of 1.9 m.
Is Bill Ackman married?
Yes, Ackman is married to Neri Oxman. The couple married in January 2019 at the Central Synagogue in Manhattan, and they had their first child together in spring 2019. Ackman was previously married to Karen Ann Herskovitz, a landscape architect. The couple tied the knot on 10 July 1994, and they have three children: Eloise Ackman, Lucy Ackman, and Liza Ackman. On 22 December 2016, it was reported that the couple had divorced. He has four kids.
How much is Bill Ackman worth?
Ackman has an approximate net worth of $2.9 billion. This amount has been accrued from his leading roles in the business industry.
Where does Bill Ackman live?
Because of personal reasons, Ackman has not shared his precise location of residence. We will update this information if we get the location and images of his house.
Is Bill Ackman dead or alive?
Ackman is alive and in good health. There have been no reports of him being sick or having any health-related issues.
Where is Bill Ackman Now?
Ackman is an investor, hedge fund manager as well as a philanthropist who was born in the USA as William Albert Ackman.
Bill Ackman Contacts
- Youtube
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- Website
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