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Billionaire investor and Harvard alumnus Bill Ackman issued a lengthy and pointed public critique this week of Harvard University, arguing the institution has been overtaken by ideological bias and failed governance.
In a widely circulated May 26 statement on X, Ackman described Harvard as suffering from “gross mismanagement, poor governance, and ideological capture” that has become especially evident since October 2023.
Ackman’s comments come in the wake of continued controversy surrounding antisemitism and illegal diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) policies on elite college campuses, including Harvard.
Ackman pointed to a specific moment — an October 8, 2023, statement by 33 student groups blaming Israel for the Hamas terrorist attacks the day before — as a turning point.
“I realized that something had gone profoundly wrong at my alma mater,” he wrote, adding that further conversations with faculty and students on campus confirmed his view that the university’s crisis extended beyond antisemitism: “The rot runs deep,” he said.
“The issue was not simply one of anti-Zionism or antisemitism,” he noted, “but rather the anti-American ideological capture of a once-great educational institution.”
According to Ackman, Harvard has embraced a framework rooted in critical theory and intersectionality, where all systems producing unequal outcomes are deemed inherently racist. He argues this ideology, championed through the university’s DEI programs, has eroded academic standards and fostered hostility toward merit-based admissions, capitalism, and traditional values.
“Rather than being anti-racist,” Ackman wrote, “DEI and its ideological framework are profoundly racist and illegal, and an important contributor to what has gone wrong at Harvard in recent years.”
He also criticized Harvard’s past handling of antisemitic incidents and campus protests. Noting the university’s low ranking in free speech protections, Ackman linked recent campus rhetoric — including chants calling for a global intifada — to real-world violence, citing the recent murders of two embassy staff members in Washington, D.C.
Ackman accused the university of disregarding repeated federal warnings to address antisemitism and ideological bias, which has led to the suspension of Harvard’s Student and Exchange Visitor Program certification and a halt in federal funding. He faulted the university’s response, including a decision to personally sue multiple Trump administration officials, as antagonistic and counterproductive.
Ackman stated that he has made efforts to offer guidance to Harvard, reaching out to members of the Corporation Board and seeking contact with President Alan Garber. However, he said those efforts were met with silence, prompting him to share his concerns and recommendations publicly.
Offering what he called “a path forward,” Ackman urged Harvard to adopt the nine measures proposed by the administration in an April 3 letter, including restoring merit-based admissions and hiring, shutting down DEI programs, reforming governance, and cooperating with law enforcement.
“None of the April 3rd requests are unreasonable,” he said, noting that these reforms “would likely be welcomed by the substantial majority of faculty, students, and alumni of the University.”
Ackman concluded with a plea for leadership change, calling for the resignation of Senior Fellow Penny Pritzker, whom he says has presided over the institution’s decline.
He said, “The time to start saving Harvard is now.”
