TED Talks Daily An activist investor on challenging the status quo | Bill Ackman
May 13, 2024
Bill Ackman, a billionaire activist investor known for driving change in companies, joins author and business ethics professor Alison Taylor. He shares his insights on the intersection of activism and investing, discussing challenges in elite institutions like Harvard and their impact on free speech. Ackman explores the evolving landscape of diversity, equity, and inclusion in leadership. He emphasizes the critical role of wealthy individuals in shaping public policy, underscoring the importance of diverse voices in discourse.
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Long-Term Investing
- Investing involves predicting the future of businesses, especially over decades.
- Analyze potential disruptions and barriers to entry to determine long-term value.
Activism Beyond Investing
- Bill Ackman applies his activist investing approach to social and political issues.
- He sees problems like those at Harvard as governance issues similar to those in corporations.
Harvard's Governance Problem
- Harvard, like a corporation, can lose its way due to success and a lack of self-disruption.
- Ackman believes Harvard's quality has declined while costs have risen, hindering free speech.