Billionaire Bill Ackman Speaks Up for Kennedy

By Nikos Biggs-Chiropolos, The Kennedy Beacon

Even in a democracy, few political candidates can succeed without having some degree of elite support. 

It has been a good week for Robert F. Kennedy Jr. in that regard, as Elon Musk recently promoted the film Who is Bobby Kennedy? on X (formerly Twitter), while billionaire Bill Ackman used the same platform to publish a lengthy post in response to the aforementioned documentary that makes a strong case for considering Kennedy’s candidacy.

Ackman’s post included:

By now everyone seems to think that this election is a two-horse race, and many have complained about the options. 

I think all of us need to consider another viable option, that is @RobertKennedyJr. 

… In order to be able to consider RFK, you need to put aside what you have read about RFK or ‘heard’ about him, and rather listen to what he has actually said and read what he has actually written.

If you do so, I think you will be intrigued.

Ackman is a hedge fund manager who is most notably the founder and CEO of Pershing Square Capital Management. His net worth is estimated by Forbes to be $4.3 billion. Having signed the Giving Pledge, which commits him to give away at least 50% of his wealth during his lifetime, Ackman has been very active in philanthropy, which has led to considerable influence. 

Ackman has previously supported Democratic Party political candidates, but signaled his disenchantment with Biden (shared by many people) during this election cycle by endorsing Dean Phillips, as reported by Bloomberg. Philips was the only elected Democrat to challenge Joe Biden, entering the party’s presidential primaries after Kennedy declared his independence. Although Philips lost consistently before dropping out, Ackman went on to state publicly that he will not be voting for Biden and is considering other candidates.

CNBC previously reported that Ackman had donated to Kennedy’s campaign as early as last summer, but his recent X post seems to be his most extensive public comment supporting the candidate. 

Ackman admits that he still has not decided whom to vote for, but closed his post with some words that should ring true for all registered voters:

One of the most important qualities for a president in my opinion is a willingness to make decisions based on principles regardless of what the polls might say. RFK has shown time and again that he is willing to do so. This is a mark of strong character in my view.

To get to know him better, watch this mini-doc on his life [Who is Bobby Kennedy?]. I think you will find it interesting and enjoyable to watch. 

We cannot rely on the media to tell us whom to vote for. The media have their own agenda and in my experience that agenda is not always aligned… with what is best for our country.

We owe it to ourselves and our country to listen, learn and judge. I trust the wisdom of the American people to get this right, but only if we take the time to do our research.

We at The Kennedy Beacon fully share Ackman’s sentiment, that Americans should consider every candidate with an open mind.