Pershing Square's Bill Ackman, who has been voicing his opinions about the 2024 presidential candidates, made a bold prediction on Saturday regarding the Republican primary race.
What Happened: Vivek Ramaswamy, who is trailing far behind in the GOP primary polls, will win the presidential race, Ackman tweeted. Calling it a bold and early call, the hedge fund manager said the country is ready for his message.
“He [Ramaswamy] is young, smart, talented and will attract the center to the right to win. He speaks hard truths which many believe but fear to say,” Ackman said.
The hedge fund manager said Ramaswamy is “a very talented and successful entrepreneur who understands business, economics, healthcare, politics, history and geopolitics.”
“You won't likely agree with all of his views, but you will respect his candor, acumen, discipline and energy. One to watch,” Ackman added.
“And let's remember that the improbable candidate often wins,” Ackman continued, pointing to Bill Clinton, Barack Obama and Donald Trump. “Most people laughed at the thought of any of the previous up until months before the election.”
The Pershing Square founder predicted that Ramaswamy will surpass former Vice President Mike Pence and “rapidly approach” Florida Governor Ron DeSantis in the polls after next month's debate.
“I expect he will continue to make rapid progress and will eventually challenge @realDonald Trump,” Ackman said. “I think he has reached the tipping point.”
About Ramaswamy: Ramaswamy is a businessman born to Indian immigrant parents in Cincinnati. He is a Harvard graduate with a bachelor's degree in biology. He went on to earn a doctorate in law from Yale Law School.
After dabbling in investment management as a partner at a hedge fund, Ramaswamy founded the biopharma portfolio-holding company Roivant Sciences. He later stepped down from the company and co-founded Strive Asset Management.
Ramsawami declared his candidacy for the GOP primary race in February and has since presented himself as an anti-woke activist. According to a Forbes article in April, the presidential hopeful’s net worth was approximately $630 million.
Ramaswamy is currently ranked fourth in GOP opinion polls, with support from 4.6% of GOP voters, according to FiveThirtyEight, which compiles numbers from various polls. He trails Pence, who has the support of 7.4% of the voters. DeSantis and former President Donald Trump have garnered the support of 21% and 49.7% of the voters respectively.
Dimon Still Favorite: Still, Ackman said his first-choice candidate continues to be JPMorgan's Jamie Dimon, reasoning that the U.S. needs a more centrist president. However, Dimon has yet to enter the race.
“I have reason to believe he may run. Let's hope it happens,” the hedge fund manager said on Twitter.
Oddsmakers would pay a fortune if Dimon and Ramaswami were pitted against each other in the 2024 general election, Ackman said, adding that “[this] is a asymmetric bet that I would make and love to see.”
“Imagine if two of our most talented and intelligent citizens faced off for president. What a wonderful world that would be,” he said.
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