Net Worth
$9.5B
Global Rank
#101
Source
Hedge Funds
Country
United States
$How Bill Ackman Built Their Fortune
William Albert Ackman is the founder and CEO of Pershing Square Capital Management, a hedge fund known for concentrated, activist investments. Born in New York City in 1966, Ackman graduated from Harvard Business School and launched his career with an early fund, Gotham Partners, before founding Pershing Square in 2004.
Ackman is famous for his bold, public investment theses — including a highly profitable bet against the municipal bond insurer MBIA and a massive short position against Herbalife. He made one of the greatest trades in history by purchasing credit default swaps before the COVID-19 crash in March 2020, turning $27 million into $2.6 billion in roughly three weeks.
He is also known for his activist campaigns at companies like Canadian Pacific Railway, Wendy's, Target, and J.C. Penney — with results ranging from spectacular successes to costly failures. His transparency and willingness to engage publicly on X (Twitter) have made him one of the most recognizable hedge fund managers in the world.
vs$9.5B in Perspective
To put Bill Ackman's $9.5B fortune into context, here's what that wealth could buy:
Median U.S. household incomes
At $59,384/year
Median U.S. homes
At $420,000 each
Tesla Model 3s
At $38,990 each
Four-year college degrees
At $108,000 average
NFL franchises
At $4.7B average
Private islands
At $15,000,000 each
Key Wealth Milestones
1966
Born in Chappaqua, New York.
1988
Graduated from Harvard College.
1992
Graduated from Harvard Business School; co-founded Gotham Partners.
2002
Published MBIA short thesis, establishing reputation as a research-driven activist.
2003
Closed Gotham Partners after regulatory and investor disputes.
2004
Founded Pershing Square Capital Management.
2011
Launched activist campaign at Canadian Pacific Railway.
2012
Initiated Herbalife short, sparking public feud with Carl Icahn.
2015
Invested heavily in Valeant Pharmaceuticals; stock subsequently collapsed.
2018
Exited Valeant (renamed Bausch Health) at a significant loss.
2020
COVID hedge: $27M to $2.6B. Reinvested proceeds into beaten-down stocks at the March bottom.
2024
Emerged as major voice on X, engaging millions on markets and policy.
Where Bill Ackman Ranks
Top 40% of the world's wealthiest · 167 tracked
Nearest by Rank
Richest People in United States
Bill Ackman on Wealth & Success
“I am a long-term, concentrated, research-intensive investor.”
“The key to investing is not assessing how much an industry is going to affect society, or how much it will grow, but rather determining the competitive advantage of any given company and the durability of that advantage.”
“I think the secret to investing is to be a learning machine.”
“Risk is not the same as volatility. Risk is the permanent loss of capital.”
“Transparency is the best form of regulation.”
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AI-Generated Content — This profile was created using AI and publicly available sources. While we strive for accuracy, details may contain errors or be outdated. Quotes may be paraphrased or taken out of context. Achievements and figures are based on public reporting and may not be precise. This profile does not imply endorsement by the individual featured. Not financial advice.