Bill Ackman skewered Harvard University’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) efforts in a phone call with CNBC on Monday.
Ackman, the billionaire founder of hedge fund managing company Pershing Square, revealed he disapproved of Harvard’s DEI initiatives when he took the time to look into them. Ackman said the DEI initiatives don’t help every historically marginalized demographic such as Asians or Jews, and are instead tailored to provide assistance to favored groups.
“I always thought DEI was for all marginalized groups. My ignorance,” he said. (RELATED: Over 70 Harvard Faculty Members Sign Letter Calling On President To Condemn ‘Intimidation’ Of Palestine Supporters)
“If you’re an Asian student that is a victim of prejudice at Harvard, you don’t contact Harvard’s DEI office. They don’t work for you, and that is really, really wrong,” Ackman added.
Bill Ackman joins @SquawkCNBC to discuss DEI efforts at Harvard University. pic.twitter.com/XYj5F0dtyr
— CNBC (@CNBC) November 6, 2023
He continued by saying conservative students, or anyone with a “right-leaning” opinion on DEI initiatives, are the “most marginalized” within the university setting.
Ackman then said DEI should absolutely protect historically marginalized individuals and voices from “a tyranny of the majority.”
“That’s what DEI, in my mind, should be about,” Ackman added. “Those people are at risk of being taken advantage of, of being harmed, of being emotionally harmed.”
He said those protected by DEI should not be a “selected” or “favored group.”
DEI efforts have come under fire in recent years by conservative activists and politicians, alleging they are discriminatory and harm the campus culture more than they help. Universities have also faced backlash from donors amid the ongoing furor over antisemitism on campus on the heels of the Hamas attacks against Israel. Donors, such as Ackman, have publicly condemned their alma maters and vowed to pull funding from their respective institutions.