Bill Ackman: Investing, Financial Battles, Harvard, DEI, X & Free Speech | Lex Fridman Podcast #413

Bill Ackman is an investor who has led some of the biggest and controversial financial trades in history. He is founder and CEO of Pershing Square Capital Management. Please support this podcast by checking out our sponsors:
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TRANSCRIPT:
https://lexfridman.com/bill-ackman-transcript

EPISODE LINKS:
Bill’s X: https://twitter.com/BillAckman
Pershing Square Holdings: https://pershingsquareholdings.com/
Pershing Square Foundation: https://pershingsquarefoundation.org
Neri Oxman conversation: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XbPHojL_61U
Books mentioned:
The Intelligent Investor: https://amzn.to/3ONnaZy
America’s Cultural Revolution: https://amzn.to/3SDz1dY

PODCAST INFO:
Podcast website: https://lexfridman.com/podcast
Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/2lwqZIr
Spotify: https://spoti.fi/2nEwCF8
RSS: https://lexfridman.com/feed/podcast/
Full episodes playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLrAXtmErZgOdP_8GztsuKi9nrraNbKKp4
Clips playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLrAXtmErZgOeciFP3CBCIEElOJeitOr41

OUTLINE:
0:00 – Introduction
0:47 – Investing basics
5:39 – Investing in music
14:00 – Process of researching companies
18:39 – Investing in restaurants
24:08 – Investing in Google
29:50 – AI
35:05 – Warren Buffet
37:14 – Psychology of investing
46:45 – Activist investing
56:33 – General Growth Properties
1:12:49 – Canadian Pacific Railway
1:20:13 – OpenAI
1:24:24 – Biggest loss and lowest point
1:39:13 – Herbalife and Carl Icahn
1:56:03 – Oct 7
2:02:34 – College campus protests
2:21:01 – DEI in universities
2:41:52 – Neri Oxman
3:07:22 – X and free speech
3:11:46 – Trump
3:19:22 – Dean Phillips
3:26:28 – Future

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Written by Lex Fridman