Bill Ackman's credibility has sunk to a new low.

The billionaire's investment firm lost $4 billion on a drug company. Its stake in a burrito maker went south. J.C. Penney Co. has been a disappointment, and Ackman was forced to shift strategy on Herbalife, which hasn't tanked as he said it would.

The latest fail is Automatic Data Processing Inc. Shareholders rejected the three board candidates put forth by Ackman's Pershing Square Capital Management, including Ackman, the company said. Instead, they handed victories to CEO Carlos Rodriguez, who during the proxy campaign called Ackman “a spoiled brat” and accused him of negotiating like “a used-car salesman.”

Recommended For You

Complete your profile to continue reading and get FREE access to Treasury & Risk, part of your ALM digital membership.

Your access to unlimited Treasury & Risk content isn’t changing.
Once you are an ALM digital member, you’ll receive:

  • Thought leadership on regulatory changes, economic trends, corporate success stories, and tactical solutions for treasurers, CFOs, risk managers, controllers, and other finance professionals
  • Informative weekly newsletter featuring news, analysis, real-world case studies, and other critical content
  • Educational webcasts, white papers, and ebooks from industry thought leaders
  • Critical coverage of the employee benefits and financial advisory markets on our other ALM sites, PropertyCasualty360 and ThinkAdvisor
NOT FOR REPRINT

© 2025 ALM Global, LLC, All Rights Reserved. Request academic re-use from www.copyright.com. All other uses, submit a request to [email protected]. For more information visit Asset & Logo Licensing.