• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia

Trendingnow

1

Bolt CEO says he let go of his entire HR team for creating problems that didn’t exist: ‘Those problems disappeared when I let them go’ 

2

The Bezos family just donated $100 million to help achieve one of Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s top campaign promises

3

Current price of oil as of May 19, 2026

1

Bolt CEO says he let go of his entire HR team for creating problems that didn’t exist: ‘Those problems disappeared when I let them go’ 

2

The Bezos family just donated $100 million to help achieve one of Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s top campaign promises

3

Current price of oil as of May 19, 2026
FinanceHedge Funds

Bill Ackman Says He’s Bullish on Donald Trump

By
Stephen Gandel
Stephen Gandel
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Stephen Gandel
Stephen Gandel
Down Arrow Button Icon
November 10, 2016, 6:50 PM ET
Pershing Square's Bill Ackman and Valeant Pharmaceuticals International's Michael Pearson Interview
Photograph by Scott Eells — Bloomberg via Getty Images

Bill Ackman says he’s extremely bullish on Donald Trump.

Ackman, who runs Pershing Square, said that he thought having a businessman as president could be a big plus. And he said he thought Trump could get something positive done.

“He’s going to launch an infrastructure program. He’s going to take corporate taxes down to sensible levels. He’s going to get things done,” said Ackman on Thursday, speaking at the New York Times annual Dealbook conference. “And that’s extremely bullish for growth in the United States.”

Ackman said he thought progress in Washington would likely make CEOs more optimistic and likely to make new investments. And that’s why the stock market has rallied since Trump won the election, he said.

Fortune 500 CEOs Want These Policy Changes from Donald Trump

One of Wall Street’s best known hedge fund managers, Ackman is noteworthy for being a so-called activist investment style, which entails taking positions in companies and pushing for changes. But he’s also been one of the worst performing among those managers as of late. Ackman’s Pershing Square fund was down 20% last year.

And 2016 hasn’t been any better either. The fund is down 20.7% this year, through the first eight days of November. Shares of Valeant Pharmaceutical (VRX), one of Ackman’s largest stock holdings and where he is a board member, have fallen 95% in the 12 months.

Ackman, however, says he hasn’t changed his investment portfolio since Trump has won the presidency.

What’s more, the full bore support of Trump is more evidence of another of Ackman’s bad predictions. A little over a year ago, Ackman predicted that Mike Bloomberg would end up running for President and that he would win.

How Corporate America Led Donald Trump to Victory

Ackman also acknowledged for the first time that he made a mistake on Herbalife, the diet shake maker that the hedge fund manager has publicly bet against. Earlier this year, the FTC fined the company but declined to call it a pyramid scheme. Ackman has called for the company to be shut down.

On Thursday, Ackman said Herbalife would be his last “public short,” where he bets against a company and then tries to make his case directly to other investors. Ackman said it has left him too vulnerable to other investors and public scrutiny.

“In the future I am going to bet against the stock and then deliver my material to John Oliver,” says Ackman, referring to the late night TV host who has also been critical of Herbalife. “He’s the greatest man ever.”

About the Author
By Stephen Gandel
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon

Latest in Finance

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • World's Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
  • Lists Calendar
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Latest in Finance

Alex Israel crosses his arms
AITerm Sheet
How Metropolis built a $5 billion AI infrastructure company out of America’s parking problem
By Lily Mae LazarusMay 20, 2026
6 minutes ago
trump
CommentaryCongress
Milken-Harris Poll: 80% of Americans want AI workforce programs now — and Washington hasn’t delivered
By Karen Kornbluh and Libby RodneyMay 20, 2026
9 minutes ago
The bond market is firing a warning shot in the direction of Washington DC
EconomyMarkets
The bond market is firing a warning shot in the direction of Washington DC
By Eleanor PringleMay 20, 2026
9 minutes ago
Top CD rates today, May 20, 2026: Lock in up to up to 4.20%
Personal FinanceCertificates of Deposit (CDs)
Top CD rates today, May 20, 2026: Lock in up to up to 4.20%
By Glen Luke FlanaganMay 20, 2026
23 minutes ago
The top high-yield savings rates: Up to 5.00% on May 20, 2026
Personal FinanceSavings accounts
The top high-yield savings rates: Up to 5.00% on May 20, 2026
By Glen Luke FlanaganMay 20, 2026
23 minutes ago
Exclusive: Advocacy groups file complaint against Roblox, alleging its manipulative design puts kids at risk
CybersecurityRoblox
Exclusive: Advocacy groups file complaint against Roblox, alleging its manipulative design puts kids at risk
By Catherina GioinoMay 20, 2026
24 minutes ago

Most Popular

Bolt CEO says he let go of his entire HR team for creating problems that didn’t exist: ‘Those problems disappeared when I let them go’ 
Workplace Culture
Bolt CEO says he let go of his entire HR team for creating problems that didn’t exist: ‘Those problems disappeared when I let them go’ 
By Preston ForeMay 19, 2026
13 hours ago
The Bezos family just donated $100 million to help achieve one of Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s top campaign promises
Politics
The Bezos family just donated $100 million to help achieve one of Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s top campaign promises
By Jake AngeloMay 12, 2026
8 days ago
Current price of oil as of May 19, 2026
Personal Finance
Current price of oil as of May 19, 2026
By Joseph HostetlerMay 19, 2026
21 hours ago
Employers are quietly pausing 401(k) matches again. The last time this happened was the 2008 recession and Covid
Personal Finance
Employers are quietly pausing 401(k) matches again. The last time this happened was the 2008 recession and Covid
By Courtney Vinopal and HR BrewMay 18, 2026
2 days ago
Current price of silver as of Monday, May 18, 2026
Personal Finance
Current price of silver as of Monday, May 18, 2026
By Joseph HostetlerMay 18, 2026
2 days ago
While Trump insisted the Iran war would end ‘soon,’ an account in his name was buying millions in oil, defense, and gold
Economy
While Trump insisted the Iran war would end ‘soon,’ an account in his name was buying millions in oil, defense, and gold
By Eva RoytburgMay 18, 2026
2 days ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.