Bill Ackman, founder and CEO of Pershing Square, spoke at the 2025 Forbes Iconoclast Summit in New York City about ongoing conflicts at Harvard University and its relationship with the Trump administration. Ackman stated that 'a subset of the faculty and a subset of the students have been taking the place down,' referencing tensions between certain groups at Harvard and the federal government. He criticized Harvard's response to the October 7, 2023 terrorist attack against Israel and subsequent student statements, calling for the resignation of the chairman of Harvard's board and an apology from the university president to President Trump as steps to resolve the situation.