Did Bill Ackman threaten Charlie Kirk? Investor denies claims made by podcaster Candace Owens

As the investigation into the assassination of Charlie Kirk continues, podcaster and conservative influencer Candace Owens has claimed that the right-wing activist was pressured by billionaire hedge fund manager Bill Ackman to visit Israel, adding that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu contacted him. Owens also accused Ackman of making “threats” to Kirk during a high-stakes “intervention” in the Hamptons, weeks before the CEO of Turning Point USA was killed. Meanwhile, Ackman has refused the allegations, calling the claims “totally false”.

Kirk was fatally shot during an event at Utah Valley University on Wednesday (Sep 10). The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) arrested a twenty-two-year-old, Tyler Robinson.

“I know that Charlie was offered a ton of money in this moment. A ton of money…” Owens claimed. However, Kirk had a change of heart, she added. She further alleged that Seth Dillon, the CEO of Babylon Bee was also present at the lunch meeting.

Responding to the claims, Ackman said, “It saddens me that we live in a society where social media influencers seek to monetize the tragic death of Charlie Kirk.” He further said that it pained him that he was driving more traffic to her programme while clarifying the allegations.

“For the record, at no time have I ever threatened Charlie Kirk, Turning Point or anyone associated with him. I have never blackmailed anyone, let alone Charlie Kirk. I have never offered Charlie or Turning Point any money in an attempt to influence Charlie's opinion on anything. In fact, my interactions with Charlie Kirk have been extremely cordial, albeit limited, regretfully so, as I was very impressed by him and his work and I will sadly never see him again,” Ackman wrote on X.

While acknowledging that he hosted Kirk and other, Ackman said that “this was not an intervention.” He added, “It gave me considerable perspective on what is on the mind of young Americans... The next thing I knew, he was gone.”

Following Kirk’s shooting in Utah, Ackman wrote on X, “I feel incredibly privileged to have spent a day and shared a meal with @charliekirk11 this summer. He was a giant of a man.”

Meanwhile, Netanyahu had also expressed condolences, saying, “A lion-hearted friend of Israel, he fought the lies and stood tall for Judeo-Christian civilization. I spoke to him only two weeks ago and invited him to Israel. Sadly, that visit will not take place.”