Who Would Pay Money to Have Lunch With Bill Ackman? Bill Ackman has launched his second charity lunch auction, this time for the David Lynch Foundation. Alicia McElhaney October 03, 2019 Bill Ackman (Illustration by II) Want to have lunch with Bill Ackman? That’ll cost you over $13,500. Bidders are competing for the second year in a row for a chance to dine with Ackman, the high-profile activist investor who heads up Pershing Square.The auctionlaunched earlier this week and closes October 17. This year’s lunch will benefit the David Lynch Foundation, a charitable organization founded by the American filmmaker behind hit TV series Twin Peaks and the film Mulholland Drive. The group brings transcendental meditation to schools, veterans, and people with HIV. “David Lynch Foundation addresses the epidemic of stress and trauma that’s gripping all levels of society, from the board room to the living room to the inner-city schools,” Bob Roth, the foundation’s chief executive officer, said by phone Thursday. According to Ackman, who spoke withInstitutional Investorby phone Thursday, Ray Dalio, the founder of Bridgewater Associates, and actor Mark Axelowitz, who sits on the David Lynch Foundation's board, introduced him to the organization. He said he plans to do a donation match to the foundation based on the final auction price of the lunch. “I didn’t do it hoping to get something out of it,” Ackman said. “My goal is to help a good organization. The fringe benefit is that I meet someone interesting. Anyone who is paying a lot of money probably has something interesting to say or questions to ask.” Charles Frischer, an activist investor, is among the bidders hoping to dine withAckman. “Bill is a funny guy,” Frischer said by phone Thursday. “Like all of us, he’s got some real gifts and has got some challenges.” While he considered the charity a positive aspect of the chance to meet Ackman, Frischer said he didn't know much about it. "I don’t know who David Lynch is,” he said. The Federal Reserve Is Out of Options[/paste:font] Frischer isn't new to auctioned lunches with influential people. For example, he said he has bid on Warren Buffett’s charity lunches. And about 30 years ago, Frischer won a lunch with the administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency. He said he chose to send a friend who works in the environmental industry, and her company ended up winning a big contract with the EPA afterward. “If you have business to discuss, then it can be very worthwhile,” Frischer said. Last year’s auction for a lunch with Ackman raised $57,500, benefitting a foundation calledBYkids, which provides children with training and video cameras to make documentaries about their lives, according to its website. The lunch was held at Marea, a two-Michelin-star Italian seafood restaurant near Central Park where a two-course “business lunch” goes for $67 a pop. The winner was Andrew Wilkinson, who is the chief executive officer and founder of Tiny Capital, a venture firm. He did not reply to an email seeking comment on last year’s lunch. “We became friends and I ended up investing in one of their businesses with them,”Ackmansaid. “I had lunch with them yesterday, and they joke that they brought down the cost by 50 percent.” [IIDeep Dive:How Bill Ackman Turned a Lost Proxy Battle Into $1.2 Billion – And Earned His First Performance Fees in Years] Frischer said that if he wins the auction, he would suggest to Ackman that they play a round of tennis and then grab a quick bite to eat afterward. As for how much this year’s lunch could go for? Frischer thinks it could be pricier than the one last year. “If Bill continues to have the success he’s had, I think the price will go up,” he said. https://www.institutionalinvestor.c...ould Pay Money to Have Lunch With Bill Ackman
How about no. I donate to charity I don't need to make a big show of it. Especially for the small amount that went to a dubious charity.
Well, though question. If you are going to get some really good inside info then it is ok to pay $13K. Considering that this probably would not be a case, then it would be waste of $13K. It would be better just to give these money to any charity organisation