Ackman Slams Harvard for Failures, Calls to Remove Pritzker

Bill Ackman rattled off a list of concerns over how his alma mater Harvard University has handled the conflict with President Donald Trump, arguing it needs a change in board leadership.

The Pershing Square Capital Management founder singled out Penny Pritzker, who leads Harvard Corp., the body that oversees the school, for mismanaging the university, including its finances and relationship with the government.

“You have to have accountability for what has gone on at Harvard,” Ackman told Bloomberg Television on Monday at the Milken Conference. “The notion that she is still chairing the Harvard board and leading the charge is a big negative.”

Ackman has been critical of Harvard since the immediate aftermath of Oct. 7, 2023 when Hamas attacked Israel and the school became embroiled in controversy over pro-Palestine protests. He said it was around that time that he spoke directly with Pritzker.

In the meantime he used his social media account to document instances of antisemitism at the school and call for the ouster of its president at the time, Claudine Gay, the university’s first black leader.

Ackman said Trump has addressed a number of “critical” issues, including antisemitism, lack of different viewpoints and bloat.

“If they are wasting money on overhead and bureaucratic waste that is interfering or certainly not enhancing education, they should do something about it,” Ackman said.

Harvard didn’t have an immediate comment.

Ackman, in lengthy posts on X, was particularly abrasive about Harvard’s diversity, equity and inclusion efforts, arguing they contributed to antisemitism. He’s also attacked the university for failures to include diverse viewpoints and the management of its $53 billion endowment.

Earlier, he criticized Harvard’s decision to sue the government after the school received a list of demands, even if some of those requests could arguably be represented as overreach, Ackman told CNBC.

Rather, “they should have acknowledged that Trump made some good points,” and looked to strike a deal with the president, Ackman said.

Harvard sued the government last month, saying it unlawfully suspended more than $2 billion in federal funding after it refused to comply with “unconstitutional demands” to overhaul governance, discipline and hiring policies, as well as diversity programs. Trump retaliated by suggesting that Harvard should lose its tax-exempt status, something that Ackman believes is justified.

“If a university becomes a political advocacy organization,” one should “query whether it should be getting taxpayer support,” Ackman told Bloomberg.

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