TABLE, Bill Ackman's Family office.

[Saluki]

For those who say Bill Ackman can work miracles on HHH, does the way he handled his family office give you a data point to add to your Bayesian analysis?

 

https://moneywise.com/news/news/bill-ackman-severance-dispute-employee-billionaires

 

While he was busy with politics, Harvard, and other things besides investing, it seems he really took his eye off the ball. 

 

On a related note, if anyone here is a COO or CFO for a family office, please message me. A reporter wants to talk to me about this, and wants to also speak to someone with those titles (anonymously if you want) about how family offices should handle this type of thing.

[Mephistopheles]

Genuine question, why does a hedge fund manager need a family office? He's a full time investor...why aren't his family funds managed by himself? I don't think Buffett has a family office.

[thowed]

God he's so tacky.  No judgement on the case, but no need to air this in public.

 

The people who replied in support is a list of terrible man-children (+ Elisabeth 'Theranos' Holmes)...

[John Hjorth]

LoL!  - A good dose of gossip combined with some serious bashing!   -I had to activate my dictionary app to really grasp and indulge in the meaning of 'tacky'.  A southerner - like Greg [ @Gregmal ] is more direct and blunt likely using the word 'slimy' in stead! 

[thowed]

Constant learning going on at CoBF!

[Gamecock-YT]

I learned "southerners" are known for being direct and blunt. 

[DooDiligence]

47 minutes ago, Gamecock-YT said:

I learned "southerners" are known for being direct and blunt. 

 

Poor social awareness could be misinterpreted as directness coming from a blunt southern tool.

[Saluki]

On 4/13/2026 at 1:40 PM, Mephistopheles said:

Genuine question, why does a hedge fund manager need a family office? He's a full time investor...why aren't his family funds managed by himself? I don't think Buffett has a family office.

 

That's a great question. It's very common for someone like Lou Simpson (Buffet's GEICO manager) to go from a fund to a SFO when they want to wind down, but there are reasons to do it earlier. 

 

If he's doing a lot of "wealth preservation" vs aggressively growing the pie, then it's a different type of investing. Buying safer stuff might lower the fund returns, so why not do it in a separate vehicle. 

 

He could also be getting into stuff like private real estate deals and buying art (lot's of rich guys fancy themselves collectors), and if you are using hedge fund staff to subsidize your side businesses, help you with your philanthropy or political aspirations, then it's a bad look at best and violates fiduciary duties at worst. 

[Sweet]

On 4/13/2026 at 5:23 PM, Saluki said:

For those who say Bill Ackman can work miracles on HHH, does the way he handled his family office give you a data point to add to your Bayesian analysis?

 

https://moneywise.com/news/news/bill-ackman-severance-dispute-employee-billionaires

 

While he was busy with politics, Harvard, and other things besides investing, it seems he really took his eye off the ball. 

 

On a related note, if anyone here is a COO or CFO for a family office, please message me. A reporter wants to talk to me about this, and wants to also speak to someone with those titles (anonymously if you want) about how family offices should handle this type of thing.

You’re assuming quite a bit yourself unless you know the inside line?  This lady could have been one of these Karen’s primed to take even the mildest of comments the wrong way.  
 

We can’t know for sure without the full details, but given the worst thing that happened to her in the article is a comment about looking good for her age, followed by the the woke jargon of adding to an ‘unsafe work environment’, it immediately casts doubt on her credibility.  It’s basically a rehearsed line at this point lacking in authenticity.  

Nobody wants to play these silly games anymore.  Normal people are sick of pretending that the minor grievances of the easily offended are actually important.

[Mephistopheles]

2 hours ago, Saluki said:

 

That's a great question. It's very common for someone like Lou Simpson (Buffet's GEICO manager) to go from a fund to a SFO when they want to wind down, but there are reasons to do it earlier. 

 

If he's doing a lot of "wealth preservation" vs aggressively growing the pie, then it's a different type of investing. Buying safer stuff might lower the fund returns, so why not do it in a separate vehicle. 

 

He could also be getting into stuff like private real estate deals and buying art (lot's of rich guys fancy themselves collectors), and if you are using hedge fund staff to subsidize your side businesses, help you with your philanthropy or political aspirations, then it's a bad look at best and violates fiduciary duties at worst. 

I do totally get they have separate and personal investments and he shouldn’t use the fund staff (or he should pay for it)…but, why doesn’t he do all the investments on his own? Though, I guess the another purpose of the office is to manage logistics, accounting, etc.

[thowed]

8 hours ago, Sweet said:

You’re assuming quite a bit yourself unless you know the inside line?

 

Yes, but you're basically doing the same.

 

Whole point here is that we don't know, so not point in taking either side.

 

Only thing can be sure if is that Ackman is an idiot, and I just hope he wakes up and gets back to focusing on the investing, which he can be so good at.

[Sweet]

44 minutes ago, thowed said:

 

Yes, but you're basically doing the same.

 

Whole point here is that we don't know, so not point in taking either side.

 

Only thing can be sure if is that Ackman is an idiot, and I just hope he wakes up and gets back to focusing on the investing, which he can be so good at.

Of course I am.  I said ‘this lady could’.  Much of what follows is speculation.

 

However, there is some evidence that she is one of these Karen types.  Given the language she used, ‘safe work environment’, and that the worst thing mentioned in the article was a comment by the BA’s nephew about her being looking good for an older lady.

 

I’m speculating again, but IF that’s the worst thing that happened this lady, she’s just a moron.

 

Edited April 17 by Sweet

[John Hjorth]

I still get a good laugh out of this topic! 

 

In German, @Spekulatius and all other German background CofB&F members would say : 'So ein ding muss Ich auch haben!'

 

- A FO, that's just so lame, totally out of fashion! 

 

- The new black is a Space Exploration [rocket] company, if you're 'something at the music', most likely running at eternal losses until you you get tired of it, and sell it!

 

-So, forget tropy wifes [third time! ], wifey bling, FOs, expensive cars, outragious houses, yachs, airplanes, islands, news medias [papers], football teams and the like, if you're 'something at the music'! 

 

YOLO is good! 

Edited April 17 by John Hjorth