Bill Ackman, the billionaire hedge fund manager and CEO of Pershing Square Capital Management, is making headlines with his bold plan to build a modern-day Berkshire Hathaway. Known for his activist investing and high-conviction stock picks, Ackman is now focused on transforming Howard Hughes Holdings into a diversified powerhouse, echoing Warren Buffett’s legendary strategy.
Why Bill Ackman could be the next Warren Buffett?
Pershing Square held $1.4 billion in Howard Hughes stock as of March 2025 and added another $900 million in May, signaling Ackman’s strong belief in the company’s potential. His vision is to use Howard Hughes as a vehicle to acquire controlling stakes in quality businesses, creating a steady flow of cash and investment opportunities — much like Buffett did after taking over Berkshire Hathaway in 1965.
Ackman’s hedge fund has already outperformed the S&P 500 by nearly 30 percentage points over the past five years, with major investments in Uber Technologies and Alphabet, Google’s parent company. This track record, combined with his latest moves, positions Ackman as a serious contender to follow in Buffett’s footsteps.
Who is Bill Ackman?
Ackman serves on several influential boards and advisory committees, including the Federal Reserve Bank of New York’s Investor Advisory Committee and Harvard Business School’s Board of Dean’s Advisors. With a net worth estimated at $9.3 billion, Ackman’s ambition to build a Berkshire-style empire is one of the most closely watched stories in finance today. In a recent interview with Steve Forbes, Ackman opened up about his entrepreneurial journey during his time at Harvard, when he took a job selling ads for the student-run Let’s Go travel guides. The role was typically reserved for less assertive students, but Ackman turned it into a surprisingly profitable venture. “I made about $14,000 that summer,” he said. But the success came with a lesson in financial reality—he spent the entire amount on a high-end stereo system, only to be hit with an unexpected tax bill. “And then the tax bill came,” he added wryly.
After graduating, Ackman teamed up with a business school classmate to launch their own investment fund—starting with cold calls to names on the Forbes 400 list of the wealthiest Americans. “You can’t be afraid of rejection,” he said, recalling how they pitched their idea to wealthy entrepreneurs who were intrigued by the ambition of two young men chasing a bold vision. “They liked the psychological benefit of being early investors,” Ackman noted.