Billionaire hedge fund manager Bill Ackman is calling on Harvard University to back down in a simmering feud with President Donald Trump, arguing his alma mater is misguided and should comply with the administration’s requests.
In a lengthy post to X on Monday, Ackman said he was saddened to watch Harvard “self-immolate” over what he described as “gross mismanagement, poor governance, and ideological capture” over the last 15 years.
Throughout the post, Ackman repeatedly took aim at diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives at the university, claiming DEI “poisoned” Harvard administration practices, contributed to the decline of “excellence and meritocracy,” and allowed for antisemitism to grow on campus.
“Rather than promoting the issues suggested by its nomenclature, in practice, DEI as implemented at Harvard is a political advocacy movement that advocates and executes on behalf of certain groups that are deemed oppressed under the DEI methodology,” Ackman wrote.
“Under DEI, one’s degree of oppression is determined based upon where one resides on a so-called intersectional pyramid of oppression where whites, Jews, and Asians are deemed oppressors, and a subset of people of color, LGBTQ people, and/or women are deemed to be oppressed,” he continued.
His remarks mirror arguments repeatedly made by the Trump administration, which demanded that Harvard and other major universities end DEI directives earlier this spring.
While Harvard has since made some changes, including renaming its Office of Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging to the Office of Community and Campus Life, Ackman claimed that “the rot runs deep.”
The billionaire pointed to the legal drama unfolding between the university and Washington, as Harvard has twice sued the administration over withholding federal funding and attempting to block the school from admitting international students.
Last week, the Department of Homeland Security revoked the school’s University Student and Exchange Visitor Program, effectively prohibiting Harvard from enrolling foreign students. The administration also canceled its student visa program.
Harvard has called the Trump administration’s actions “unlawful and unwarranted,” insisting that it has taken steps to comply with the DHS’s requests. In the face of the funding freeze, Harvard has accused the administration of trying to impose “unprecedented and improper control” over the school, warning that the moves would have “chilling implications for higher education.”
“Harvard will continue to comply with the law, promote and encourage respect for viewpoint diversity, and combat antisemitism in our community,” a university spokesperson said in a statement earlier this month. “Harvard will also continue to defend against illegal government overreach aimed at stifling research and innovation that make Americans safer and more secure.”
Ackman claimed Harvard should not have been surprised by the administration’s actions, accusing the university of arrogance and filing the lawsuits out of spite.
Ackman specifically urged the university to heed the demands detailed in an April 3 letter sent by the administration that called on Harvard to review programs and departments fueling antisemitic harassment, ban masks, make governance reforms, hire based on merit, shutter DEI programs, cooperate with law enforcement, and fully comply with federal reporting requirements.
While the hedge fund manager admitted the administration’s cancellation of the Student and Exchange Visitor Program was “devastating” for the university, Ackman said the solution falls on Harvard’s shoulders.
“The solution here is simple: Harvard must comply with the record requests from the Administration,” Ackman wrote, claiming permanent and irreversible damage could be done if the school stays on its current path.
This isn’t the first time Ackman has taken aim at his alma mater.
The billionaire is a known critic of former Harvard President Claudine Gay and has used X to apply pressure on the university, particularly over releasing the names of students who signed a letter blaming Israel for Hamas’s Oct. 7 attacks.
While he endorsed Trump during the 2024 presidential campaign, Ackman has not been afraid to criticize the president and his policies. In early April, Ackman was quick to express concerns over Trump’s tariff plans, saying the president was “losing the confidence of business leaders around the globe.”
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When it comes to Harvard, however, Ackman remains closely aligned with the administration.
His recommendations for the university came the same day Trump levied new threats against the school, saying he was considering taking billions of dollars’ worth of Harvard grants and giving them to trade schools.
