Billionaire Harvard alumnus calls DEI ‘racist’ in statement asking school board to resign

Billionaire and Harvard University alumnus Bill Ackman described diversity, equity, and inclusion as “racist” in a statement posted to social media after the resignation of the school’s president.

Ackman, who spoke out against his school last year regarding antisemitism displayed by students, described DEI as an “important contributor” to divisiveness within the United States in the past few years. The billionaire also said that resentment is one of the biggest drivers of racism and that the lack of true equity in DEI, which he referred to as “fairness,” contributes to the growing resentment in the U.S.

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“DEI is racist because reverse racism is racism, even if it is against white people (and it is remarkable that I even need to point this out),” Ackman’s statement on social media read. “Racism against white people has become considered acceptable by many not to be racism, or alternatively, it is deemed acceptable racism. While this is, of course, absurd, it has become the prevailing view in many universities around the country.”

The billionaire said that while he has spent many years advocating giving disadvantaged people support, doing so should not necessarily mean giving someone a leadership role for which they are not fit. Ackman said he believes this was the case with former Harvard President Claudine Gay, who “did not possess the leadership skills” to serve as president.

Ackman also criticized the school’s board for supporting Gay throughout the past few months and suggested that they all be replaced by a new group who are nominated by shareholders. He admitted that this is not possible, though, because “the Board nominates itself and its new members.”

“The Corporation Board should not remain in their seats protected by the unusual governance structure which enabled them to obtain their seats,” Ackman said. “The Board Chair, Penny Pritzker, should resign along with the other members of the board who led the campaign to keep Claudine Gay, orchestrated the strategy to threaten the media, bypassed the process for evaluating plagiarism, and otherwise greatly contributed to the damage that has been done. Then new Corporation board members should be identified who bring true diversity, viewpoint and otherwise, to the board.”

(AP Photo/Richard Drew)

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The statement from Ackman comes after Gay resigned from her position on Tuesday. Gay had been sworn in as president in July last year, making her resignation the shortest tenure in Harvard presidential history.

In October, Ackman was one of several billionaires who vowed never to hire any members of the student groups at Harvard who signed an anti-Israel letter in the wake of the Oct. 7 Hamas terrorist attack.