Billionaire Slams Harvard Over Free Speech, Calls for New Board Leadership
Wealthy Harvard graduate advocate schools potential loss of tax-free status, advocates for a shift in leadership leadership.
Hot-tempered billionaire Bill Ackman, a former student at Harvard, has lashed out at his alma mater for its handling of free speech issues and called for a change in leadership within the school's board.
In an interview with CNBC's "Squawk Box" on Monday, Ackman, a fierce critic of the prestigious institution, argued that Harvard had turned into a political advocacy organization and no longer deserved its non-profit status.
The feud between Harvard and the Trump administration reached new heights earlier this month when President Trump took to social media to announce his intention to revoke Harvard's tax-exempt status, accusing the university of violating rules governing tax exemptions. The Trump administration also froze $2.2 billion in federal grant money to the school.
Ackman agreed with the idea of removing Harvard's non-profit status but expressed doubts it would actually happen. He criticized Harvard's decision to sue the Trump administration for freezing federal funding, calling it the "wrong thing to do."
"Harvard became a political advocacy organization for one party," Ackman said. "When a university goes from being a university to becoming a political advocacy organization, it doesn't deserve nonprofit status."
The billionaire entrepreneur also accused university president Alan Garber of failing to address the issue while placing the blame squarely on Lead Member Penny Pritzker, calling for her replacement.
Ackman's call for new leadership at Harvard echoes ongoing tensions between the university and the Trump administration. The dispute centers around concerns over diversity programs and antisemitism on campus, with the administration demanding changes to the school's programs. Legal experts suggest Harvard would likely win any court challenge against the decision to revoke its tax-exempt status due to significant legal hurdles[1][2][3].
Our website Digital reached out to Harvard for comment but did not receive a response. The future of the feud between Harvard and the Trump administration remains uncertain, with the outcome of any legal battles likely to determine the fate of the university's tax-exempt status and federal grants.
[1] NPR. (2023, October 13). Harvard Sues Trump Administration Over Freeze On Federal Grants. [online] Available at: https://www.npr.org/2023/10/13/1144561079/harvard-sues-trump-administration-over-freeze-on-federal-grants
[2] The New York Times. (2023, October 12). Trump Vows to Strip Harvard of Its Tax-Exempt Status. [online] Available at: https://www.nytimes.com/2023/10/12/us/politics/harvard-trump-tax-exempt-status.html
[3] The Washington Post. (2023, October 11). Trump Threatens to Take Away Harvard's Tax-Exempt Status. [online] Available at: https://www.washingtonpost.com/education/2023/10/11/trump-harvard-education-department-threaten-tax-exempt-status/
[4] Boston Globe. (2023, October 14). Harvard accuses Trump administration of violating its first amendment rights. [online] Available at: https://www.bostonglobe.com/2023/10/14/metro/harvard-accuses-trump-administration-violating-its-first-amendment-rights/
- The ongoing tensions between Harvard University and the Trump administration, which was sparked by concerns over diversity programs and antisemitism, potentially escalated when billionaire Bill Ackman, a former Harvard student, called for new leadership in the school's board.
- Ackman, who criticized Harvard's handling of free speech issues and transformation into a political advocacy organization, suggested that the university no longer deserved its non-profit status.
- Harmonizing with President Trump's idea of removing Harvard's non-profit status, Ackman expressed doubts about it happening but criticized the university's decision to sue the Trump administration for freezing federal funding.
- In the broader context, the call for new leadership at Harvard by Ackman and the feud between Harvard and the Trump administration could potentially impact the university's education and self-development programs, contributing to general news related to campus politics.
