Billionaire Bill Ackman, who initially advocated for the removal of Harvard President Claudine Gay due to plagiarism allegations, has reversed his stance after similar accusations emerged against his wife, Neri Oxman. Ackman took to X to defend his wife, acknowledging her mistakes and emphasizing her humanity. Oxman admitted to instances of plagiarism in her doctoral dissertation at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), specifically in the use of unattributed language from a 1998 paper and a 2006 article.
In response to the allegations, Ackman posted on X, “You know that you struck a chord when they go after your wife, in this case my love and partner in life, @NeriOxman.” He described Oxman as human, noting that she makes mistakes, takes responsibility, and offers apologies when appropriate. Oxman, in a detailed statement, acknowledged the errors in her dissertation, expressing regret and pledging to rectify any necessary corrections upon obtaining access to the original sources.
Interestingly, Ackman’s shift in stance came on the heels of the announcement that Gay would no longer serve as Harvard president, although she remains part of the faculty, receiving a salary exceeding $900,000. Ackman, critical of this decision, argued that such a highly paid faculty position for someone with serious plagiarism issues sets a problematic precedent for academic integrity at Harvard.
Ackman’s initial criticism of Gay stemmed from a viral video clip featuring Ivy League college presidents, including Gay, who failed to condemn widespread antisemitism on their campuses during a testimony before US lawmakers. Ackman called for the resignations of all three leaders. Subsequently, he targeted Gay over reports of heavy plagiarism in her academic work, expressing dissatisfaction with her continued association with Harvard’s faculty.
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