Bill Ackman Portfolio

These reflect Ackman's focus on consumer-facing, resilient businesses with operational upside and pricing power.

Bill Ackman’s investment strategy

Bill Ackman’s investing style? Think Warren Buffett with a bit more edge. Not too surprising, since both Ackman and Buffett were heavily influenced by the same investing bible called The Intelligent Investor by Ben Graham.

Like Buffett, Bill Ackman is a value investor. That means he hunts for high-quality companies that are tough to compete with, but for whatever reason, the market hasn’t quite caught on to how good they are yet. He buys in, holds tight, and waits for the market to catch up.

In fact, Ackman isn’t a fan of being called a “hedge fund manager.” He prefers the term “investment holding company”, and it makes sense. He’s not chasing quick wins or making flashy trades. Instead, he takes a long-term view as a value investor, and adds another layer with his role as an activist investor. Aside from being a value investor, Ackman is also an activist investor.

What is activist investing?

Despite how it sounds, activist investing has nothing to do with protest signs or sit-ins. It simply means Bill Ackman takes an active role in the companies he invests in. He buys large stakes, often becoming the biggest shareholder, and then gets involved. That could include joining the board, suggesting major changes, or encouraging management to take a new direction. When it works, the company performs better, the stock price goes up, and everyone wins. It's investing with impact.

Key traits of Bill Ackman’s investment strategy:

• Concentrated bets: Unlike most hedge funds, Bill Ackman prefers a focused portfolio where each position can move the needle.
• Deep due diligence: Ackman’s team performs extensive research before investing, often holding positions for years.
• Public activism: He’s known for letter-writing campaigns, media appearances, and proxy battles to drive change.
• Risk-taking with hedging: Ackman made billions during the COVID-19 crash by hedging corporate credit defaults, one of his most famous trades.

If you like his style, you can actually invest in his fund. Pershing Square Holdings is publicly listed in Amsterdam and London, so buying a slice of Ackman’s action is just a few clicks away.

How did Bill Ackman make money?

Bill Ackman’s wealth comes from the success of Pershing Square Holdings, founded in 2004. His earnings stem from performance fees, management fees, and returns on his own capital invested in the fund. Some of his most profitable moves include:

• Shorting the bond market in 2020 to hedge against the pandemic crash, earning $2.6 billion from a $27 million investment.
• Long-term positions in Chipotle and Canadian Pacific Railway, which multiplied in value over time.
• The Herbalife short position, though ultimately a loss, made Bill Ackman a popular name in investing circles.

Bill Ackman’s Net Worth

As of June 2025, Bill Ackman’s net worth is estimated at ~$9 billion, according to Forbes. He’s also signed the Giving Pledge, committing to donate at least half his wealth to charitable causes, primarily through the Pershing Square Foundation.

Bill Ackman Books

Bill Ackman hasn’t authored a traditional book, however, his extensive letters to shareholders and interviews are often studied like textbooks. He’s featured in several finance books and documentaries. He is also known for sharing educational insights, including his famed lecture “Everything You Need to Know About Finance and Investing in Under an Hour,” which went viral among finance students and retail investors.

Bill Ackman’s Education

Ackman holds a bachelor’s degree in social studies from Harvard College (1998) and an MBA from Harvard Business School (1992). His academic background in liberal arts and finance is reflected in his holistic, deeply analytical investment style.