Pershing Square founder Bill Ackman made headlines recently for supporting a debate between Democratic Presidential primary candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and vaccine scientist Dr. Peter Hotez.
Ackman retweeted a video clip of Kennedy appearing on the Joe Rogan podcast, hinting at his admiration for the presidential hopeful. This sparked speculation that Ackman could be endorsing Kennedy for the presidency. However, a recent tweet from Ackman suggests that he still hopes JPMorgan CEO Jamie Dimon will enter the political arena.
What Happened: Ackman expressed his disappointment, stating, “It’s a huge loss for all of us if Jamie won’t run.”
This tweet was in response to an old video clip of Dimon speaking at The Economic Club of Washington D.C., where he raves about America’s strengths and exceptional qualities.
Dimon Says: Dimon in the video talks about Americans’ underappreciation of their nation’s strengths, such as peaceful neighboring countries, robust military defenses, and abundant resources.
He praises America’s top-notch military, thriving economy, strong stock market, and prestigious universities.
"It’s extraordinary, it’s extraordinary, and we have it today. Yes, we have problems," Dimon says in the video. "If you travel around the world….get an airplane and travel around the world and go to all these other countries and tell me what you think."
Why It's Important: Ackman, in March, said it would be interesting if someone outside the political system ran for office on the Democratic side. He named Dimon as his favorite choice for the same.
"I’d like a globally recognized, respected, talented business builder that understands the economy, that understands geopolitics, that has relationships with business leaders globally and also has a track record for caring about broad ranges of our citizens," Ackman said.
When Dimon told Bloomberg in late May that "I love my country and maybe one day I’ll serve my country in one capacity or another," rumors of his interest in public office floated around.
Despite Ackman’s support, JPMorgan issued a statement in June confirming that Dimon has no plans to run for office, as he is content in his current role.
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