Being a billionaire supporter of Donald Trump is one thing, but doing so while trying to maintain your dignity is another.
Take billionaire investor and anti-woke crusader Bill Ackman, who said “growth is about to explode” after Trump won in November.
Initially supportive of Trump’s tariff policy, he turned panicky as markets plunged, warning the US was headed for a “self-induced, economic nuclear winter”. This about-turn inspired a spat with high-profile economist Nouriel Roubini, who said Ackman “totally brown-nosed till now” to “this lunatic and fascist president”.
When Ackman later blamed US commerce secretary and former Cantor Fitzgerald boss Howard Lutnick, saying they are “long bonds” and profit “when our economy implodes”, Roubini dug out a November tweet by Ackman: “The country is excited to have you [Lutnick] driving our economy. Thank you for your service.”
The fawning over Trump resumed once the president announced his tariff pause. “Looking at the facts objectively, the only word that comes to my mind is ‘brilliant’,” Ackman posted on X. “Textbook, Art of the Deal.”
That brought a withering response from another billionaire investor, AQR’s Cliff Asness. “For me, one of the main benefits of making some money is not having to wear a gimp suit for anybody. To each his own.”
If you’re wondering, a gimp suit is a full-body outfit associated with bondage. It’s tight, restrictive, and often dehumanising by design, symbolising submission. Asness apologised for being “mean”, but his point stands: financial independence should allow you to speak freely and preserve your dignity.
