‘Shut the Hell Up’: Biden Called Bill Ackman an ‘Asshole’ For Disrespecting Memory of His Late Son in Unearthed Comments
AP Photo/Richard Drew
Bill Ackman threw his support and considerable capital behind Biden challenger Rep. Dean Phillips (D-MN) this week, prompting the X-verse to rehash an alleged acrimonious exchange between the billionaire financier and the current president.
The altercation happened at a 2017 SkyBridge Alternatives (SALT) Conference dinner, moderated by former Trump press secretary Anthony Scaramucci, and may explain the bad blood between the two men.
Journalist Tom Gara joined a host of others to retweet an unearthed article from Fox Business, in which Ackman reportedly needled Biden about his son Beau Biden, who died from brain cancer a couple of years earlier. The alleged confrontation wasn’t widely reported at the time.
The article read in part:
Then during a private VIP dinner that night the question of why Biden didn’t run for president in 2016 was raised once again, by former Florida governor and 2016 GOP presidential contender Jeb Bush, who asked Biden “why didn’t you run?”
Biden explained that part of the decision stemmed from the death of his son Beau Biden, who died of brain cancer in 2015. The room grew quiet as Biden became emotional, and said: “I’m sorry…I’ve said enough.”
That’s when Ackman blurted out “Why? That’s never stopped you before.”
The formal, and understated dinner conversation suddenly turned tense, according to three people who were present and confirmed both the substance and the wording of Biden’s responses.
Biden, these people say, turned to someone seated near him, and asked, “who is this asshole?,” a reference to Ackman.
Then he turned directly to Ackman and stated: “look, I don’t know who you are, wiseass, but never disrespect the memory of my dead son!” these people say.
Ackman attempted what was described as an apology, to which Biden said, “just shut the hell up.”
Ackman committed $1 million to Phillips because he’s reportedly worried about Biden’s chances against GOP frontrunner Donald Trump, according to The Wall Street Journal.
“I am doing so because I believe that Dean Phillips would be a truly outstanding President of the United States, and I believe he has a credible path to winning the nomination despite what the oddsmakers may think,” Ackman posted to X on Saturday.
Phillips has floated a possible cabinet position for Ackman if he were to defy the remarkably long odds and win the Democrat nomination. The Minnesota congressman announced in October 2023 his intention to make a primary run against Biden.
In a post-Iowa tweet Tuesday, Ackman wrote, “If you haven’t figured it out already, it is now abundantly clear that @realDonaldTrump is going to crush @POTUS.”
“Ackman, who has donated to Republicans and Democrats in recent years, has become a highly polarizing figure in recent months following his campaign to combat antisemitism on college campuses, which included harsh criticism of diversity, equity and inclusion efforts,” Fortune reported. His efforts to oust former Harvard president Claudine Gay over plagiarism accusations backfired with allegations against Ackman’s wife, MIT professor Neri Oxman.
Read the entire article on the alleged Ackman-Biden confrontation here.
