An Activist Investor on Challenging the Status Quo | Bill Ackman | TED
14 May 2024 (over 1 year ago)

Investing
- Investing involves predicting the future and finding businesses with durability and barriers to entry.
 
Harvard Governance Issues
- Harvard faces governance issues, including increasing costs and declining education quality.
 - Unlike in the corporate world, there is no legal mechanism to force change at Harvard, so influence must be gained through public pressure and embarrassment.
 - The stakes are higher in the conversation about Harvard because it educates future leaders and shapes society.
 
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI)
- The speaker believes in DEI but sees issues with its current implementation in some institutions.
 - Diversity includes viewpoint diversity, socioeconomic background, and life experiences, not just race and gender.
 - Diversity benefits decision-making, reflects society, and promotes fairness.
 
Free Speech and Cancel Culture
- The speaker expresses concern about the current state of free speech, where challenging conventional wisdom or discussing sensitive topics can lead to accusations and "cancel culture."
 - Having a voice and sharing ideas is important, but it should not be based solely on wealth or net worth.
 - The speaker welcomes criticism and debate as a means of learning and finding the truth.
 
Influence of Wealthy Individuals
- The speaker acknowledges the excessive influence of wealthy people on democracy and technology, particularly in politics.
 - Unlimited spending on political campaigns is a problem.
 - The speaker's influence comes from impactful ideas, not campaign spending.
 - The speaker believes that the excessive influence of rich people in society, especially in politics, is not a good thing.
 - The speaker acknowledges the positive impact of wealthy individuals like Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos on advancements in space exploration.
 - The speaker expresses concern about the political influence of wealthy individuals and the need to reverse the Citizens United Supreme Court decision.
 
Twitter and Free Speech
- The speaker praises Twitter as a platform for free speech and diverse perspectives, despite the presence of hate speech and vile content.
 
Seeking Information from Diverse Sources
- The speaker emphasizes the importance of seeking information from a variety of sources beyond traditional media outlets.