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Billionaire hedge fund manager Bill Ackman released a long statement on X in which he defended his decision to donate to the fund of the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officer involved in the shooting of Renee Nicole Good in Minneapolis, Minn.
The millionaire made it clear that he did not make his donation as a political statement and said that he tried to donate to GoFundMe for Good but it was closed after it reached its fundraising goal.
Ackman criticized those who described his donation as “giving a reward to Renee Good’s killer,” saying that those who framed it as such were doing it to “generate clicks.”
“My intention is to support [the officer] and trying to support Good was not to make a political statement,” Ackman said. “I was simply continuing my long-standing commitment to helping those accused of crimes defend themselves. I firmly believe that only a detailed investigation by experts and a deep understanding of the applicable law will enable us to determine that [the officer] he is guilty of murder.”
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Bill Ackman, founder and CEO of Pershing Square Capital Management, speaks about higher education and Harvard University during the annual Milken Institute Global Conference in Beverly Hills, California, on May 6, 2025. (Patrick T. Fallon/AFP via Getty Images/Getty Images)
The millionaire said he considered donating to the official anonymously but thought his public support would help boost fundraising efforts.
Since his donation, Ackman has faced widespread controversy around the world, with Chipotle distancing itself from the billionaire after social media users falsely identified him as the owner of the restaurant.
Chipotle posted a one-sentence statement to Threads on Monday clarifying that “Bill Ackman is not affiliated with Chipotle” in response to a report that it boycotted and falsely claimed Ackman owned the company after donating $10,000 to the officer’s defense fund.
Ackman’s hedge fund, Pershing Square Capital Management, took a 9.9% stake in Chipotle in 2016, and the billionaire played a major role in reshaping the company’s strategy before reducing the stake over time and exiting entirely late last year, a move that was disclosed when Chipotle went public in November.
People attend a candlelight vigil outside the US Embassy in London in memory of Renee Nicole Good on Jan. 12, 2026. (Photos by Jordan Pettitt/PA via Getty Images/Getty Images)
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In his post, Ackman provided context for his decision to donate to the executive fund and his effort to provide Good’s family with a donation.
“23 years ago almost until today, I was accused of a crime I did not commit. [I] I was convinced that I had done nothing wrong, but I was condemned in the articles. I was under investigation for about a year before it ended without a finding of wrongdoing, but it would be years before I was acquitted in public. “Fortunately, I had the money to pay for my defense and support my family during the investigation, when I was not working,” said Ackman.
Bill Ackman, CEO of Pershing Square Capital Management LP, speaks during an interview for an episode of “The David Rubenstein Show: Peer-to-Peer Conversations” in New York on Tuesday, Nov. 28, 2023. (Jeenah Moon/Bloomberg via Getty Images/Getty Images)
In addition to describing his personal experience, Ackman spoke about his collaboration with Barry Scheck, founder of the Innocence Project, which works to exonerate the wrongfully convicted and reform the justice system. Ackman noted that the Pershing Square Foundation has been one of the largest donors to the Innocence Project. In addition, Ackman also talked about what it was like to be in court for a rape case where the defendant was found innocent by examining the evidence.
“I have a lot of respect for the way our judges work and their importance. I also have a real perspective on what life is like for a defendant, especially someone who believes and/or knows they are innocent,” Ackman said.
“In a normal situation, the whole world believes that you are guilty. You quickly lose your job and become unemployed. You and your family suffer from extreme social scorn in addition to severe financial pressure. And in the age of social media, it is worse, worse. You are immediately mistreated. You receive many death threats. in court,” he added.
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Despite his experience with the justice system, Ackman said his decision was influenced by the American belief that people are innocent until proven guilty.
“I am a fierce advocate of the American rule of law that a person is presumed innocent until proven guilty by a jury or a jury of their peers,” Ackman said. “It is very sad that we have reached a point in society where we are willing to throw away long-standing American values depending on who is accused and on which side of the spectrum you sit. Our country and its citizens would be best served by not rushing to judgment and allowing our justice system to do its job.”
The GoFundMe in question raised more than $705,900 in five days, with Ackman’s contribution being one of the largest.
Fox News Digital’s Eric Revell contributed to this report.
