In a recent development involving Harvard University, Bill Ackman, a renowned hedge fund billionaire and Harvard alumnus, has publicly criticized the university’s governing board for their decision to retain President Claudine Gay. Ackman, who heads Pershing Square Capital Management, voiced his opinions on a social media platform, expressing his belief that the board’s reluctance to dismiss Gay was influenced by a desire not to appear as if they were yielding to his pressure.
Ackman’s comments came following his open letter to the Harvard board, in which he called for Gay’s removal. He stated that he was informed by two reporters that his active social media presence was a factor in the board’s decision-making process. Ackman’s letter accused Gay of causing unprecedented damage to Harvard’s reputation.
Harvard’s official response to these allegations is still pending. However, the university’s board has firmly supported Gay, declaring their unanimous decision to maintain her in her current role. This announcement came amid a wave of controversy surrounding Gay’s recent testimony before Congress.
Ackman’s stance found an ally in fellow billionaire Elon Musk, owner of the social media platform and CEO of Tesla. Musk publicly endorsed Ackman’s letter, which articulated significant concerns regarding Harvard’s direction and policies. Musk’s support extended to a social media post advocating for the defunding of Harvard, a sentiment echoed by many of Ackman’s nearly one million followers.
The controversy initially ignited over Gay’s handling of a congressional inquiry. During her testimony, Gay, alongside MIT President Sally Kornbluth and UPenn President Liz Magill, faced difficult questions about their stance on calls for genocide against Jewish people and whether such actions breached their respective universities’ codes of conduct. Following the testimony, Magill resigned from her position at UPenn, while MIT’s board issued a statement supporting Kornbluth.
In its statement, the Harvard board condemned calls for genocide as fundamentally opposed to human values and acknowledged Gay’s apology for her handling of the congressional testimony. The board also reaffirmed their commitment to fighting antisemitism.
In a related effort, Ackman attempted to influence MIT’s board to remove Kornbluth, but his efforts were unsuccessful. The MIT board publicly backed Kornbluth, praising her leadership and commitment to addressing issues like antisemitism and Islamophobia. They emphasized their total support for her continued leadership at MIT.