Jerusalem Post/Influencers 26/50 Most Influential JewsSince October 7, Bill Ackman has become one of the most prominent American business figures speaking out in support of Israel and against antisemitism, particularly on US university campuses.Follow us on GoogleBill Ackman, founder and CEO of Pershing Square Capital Management, attends the Milken Conference in Beverly Hills earlier this year. He put $25 million into the TA Stock Exchange 110 days into the Gaza war; Wall Street thought he was crazy, the writers note.(photo credit: MIKE BLAKE/REUTERS)ByJERUSALEM POST STAFFSEPTEMBER 10, 2026 18:27In January 2024, Ackman and his wife, Neri Oxman, made their first investment in Israel, buying a 4.9% stake in the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange for about $25 million. In September 2025, Ackman made what he described as his first business trip to Israel, spending roughly a week meeting bank executives, insurers, institutional investors, venture capitalists, and the country’s political leadership.During the visit, he opened trading at the stock exchange and said he wanted to invest another $1 billion in Israeli companies.The trip concluded at the University of Haifa, where Ackman and Oxman, who was born in Haifa, received honorary doctorates.The couple also made a donation to the university that will support a student plaza named in memory of Oxman’s mother, architect Rivka Oxman. Ackman said the visit had also introduced him to opportunities for further philanthropic involvement in Israeli education and science.BILL ACKMAN, a billionaire Jewish investor and director of the New York hedge fund Pershing Square, made it clear that there was no context when it came to calls for genocide. (credit: Richard Brian/Reuters)Ackman’s growing ties to IsraelIn New York, Ackman became a prominent opponent of Mayor Zohran Mamdani during the 2025 mayoral race. He spent $1.75m. through groups seeking to defeat Mamdani and was a vocal critic of his policies and candidacy. After Mamdani won the election, however, Ackman congratulated him and offered to help the incoming administration, writing: “If I can help NYC, just let me know what I can do.”Ackman also supported some of President Donald Trump’s policies toward Harvard, his alma mater, including the administration’s decision to withhold federal funding amid its dispute with the university. Ackman has repeatedly criticized Harvard’s governance, finances, and handling of antisemitism.Over the past year, Ackman has paired his public advocacy for Israel with investment in the country’s economy and support for Israeli institutions, extending a role he has taken on increasingly visibly since October 7.No. 15: Bezalel Smotrich, Itamar Ben Gvir, Arye Deri, Gideon Sa'ar, Avigdor Liberman, Yair Lapid, and Yuli Edelstein >><< No. 17: Larry EllisonThe 50 Most Influential Jews 2026 Full ListFollow us on Google