Investor William Ackman throws weight behind dissidents in Harvard board battle

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AI vs plagiarism: Bill Ackman’s push for Artificial Intelligence gives ‘sleepless’ nights to university faculties Ackman has criticized Harvard for not doing enough to protect its students from antisemitism incidents in the wake of the October attack by the militant Islamist Palestinian group Hamas on Israel and subsequent Israeli military operations in Gaza, as well as for the university's adoption of diversity and inclusion programs he argues stifle meritocracy. The board candidates he is backing, Ackman said, are "talented, accomplished and motivated people, and their candidacy will serve as a wakeup call for Harvard." They range in age from 36 to 38, and all have served in the U.S.

military. A Harvard spokesperson did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

In a position paper reviewed by Reuters, the four candidates said they want the university to protect free speech, protect students from bullying and harassment, and address financial mismanagement, including at the school's $50.7 billion endowment. The endowment's investments delivered returns of 2.9% in fiscal 2023, deeply underperforming the broader market's nearly 20% gain.

William Ackman has accused Harvard, located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, of mismanaging and wasting some of his gifts. His hedge fund Pershing Square Capital Management oversees $18 billion in assets, and returned about 27% last year.

Because Bedell, Leslie, Pollack and Williams are not being nominated by the Harvard Alumni Association, they must gather at least 3,300 signatures from Harvard graduates - equivalent to 1% of those entitled to vote - by the end of January to qualify to run for election to the board in the spring. Turnout among Harvard graduates in such votes has been