Bill Ackman

I mean, you know, this is a business where you're going to make some mistakes. It was a big one. It was very reputationally damaging. The press was a total disaster. But I'm not a quitter. And actually the key moments for us, we'd never taken our core investment principles and actually really written them down. Something we talked about at meetings, you know, kind of our investment team meetings.

I had a member of the team. I said, look, go find a big piece of granite and a chisel and let's take those core principles. I want them like Moses is 10 commandments. Okay. We're going to chisel them. Then we're going to put it up on the wall. And once we produce those, we put one on everyone's desk.

I had a member of the team. I said, look, go find a big piece of granite and a chisel and let's take those core principles. I want them like Moses is 10 commandments. Okay. We're going to chisel them. Then we're going to put it up on the wall. And once we produce those, we put one on everyone's desk.

I had a member of the team. I said, look, go find a big piece of granite and a chisel and let's take those core principles. I want them like Moses is 10 commandments. Okay. We're going to chisel them. Then we're going to put it up on the wall. And once we produce those, we put one on everyone's desk.

I said, look, if we ever again veer from the core principles, you know, hit me with a baseball bat.

I said, look, if we ever again veer from the core principles, you know, hit me with a baseball bat.

I said, look, if we ever again veer from the core principles, you know, hit me with a baseball bat.

And that was the bottom. And ever since then we've done, we've had the best six years in the history of the firm.

And that was the bottom. And ever since then we've done, we've had the best six years in the history of the firm.

And that was the bottom. And ever since then we've done, we've had the best six years in the history of the firm.

And love helps. Love helps. I literally met Neri at the absolute bottom. Our first date was September 7th of 2017. That was very close to the bottom. Actually, there's one other element to the story. So this went on for a few months after I met her. The other element is that one day I got a call from Neri. She's like, Bill, guess what? I'm like, what? Brad Pitt is coming to the Media Lab.

And love helps. Love helps. I literally met Neri at the absolute bottom. Our first date was September 7th of 2017. That was very close to the bottom. Actually, there's one other element to the story. So this went on for a few months after I met her. The other element is that one day I got a call from Neri. She's like, Bill, guess what? I'm like, what? Brad Pitt is coming to the Media Lab.

And love helps. Love helps. I literally met Neri at the absolute bottom. Our first date was September 7th of 2017. That was very close to the bottom. Actually, there's one other element to the story. So this went on for a few months after I met her. The other element is that one day I got a call from Neri. She's like, Bill, guess what? I'm like, what? Brad Pitt is coming to the Media Lab.

He wants to see my work. I'm like, that's beautiful, sweetheart. I didn't know Brad Pitt was interested in your work.

He wants to see my work. I'm like, that's beautiful, sweetheart. I didn't know Brad Pitt was interested in your work.

He wants to see my work. I'm like, that's beautiful, sweetheart. I didn't know Brad Pitt was interested in your work.

And apparently, he's really interested in architecture. Okay. Now, Nary and I were like, you know, we would WhatsApp all day, every day. We talked throughout the day. Brad Pitt shows up at the Media Lab at 10 o'clock. I, you know, talked to her in the morning. I kind of text her to see how things are going. Don't hear back.

And apparently, he's really interested in architecture. Okay. Now, Nary and I were like, you know, we would WhatsApp all day, every day. We talked throughout the day. Brad Pitt shows up at the Media Lab at 10 o'clock. I, you know, talked to her in the morning. I kind of text her to see how things are going. Don't hear back.

And apparently, he's really interested in architecture. Okay. Now, Nary and I were like, you know, we would WhatsApp all day, every day. We talked throughout the day. Brad Pitt shows up at the Media Lab at 10 o'clock. I, you know, talked to her in the morning. I kind of text her to see how things are going. Don't hear back.

And on WhatsApp, you can see like whether the other person's read it or not. Okay. Yeah. No response. Yeah. A couple hours later, send her the text. No response. Six o'clock. No response. Eight o'clock. No response. 10 o'clock. No response. And, you know, she finally calls me at 1030 and tells me how great Brad Pitt is.