Billionaire investor Bill Ackman on Tuesday night published private text messages with conservative activist Charlie Kirk to rebut claims by commentator Candace Owens that he staged an "intervention" to blackmail or pressure Kirk over Israel.
Ackman posted a screenshot of a WhatsApp exchange he said took place weeks after a Turning Point USA event in the Hamptons, showing a cordial back-and-forth in which both men thanked one another and discussed meeting for dinner. Ackman wrote on X that he had been "reluctant to post private texts, but in an effort to put this whole thing to bed I share the following brief exchange with Charlie." He also wrote, "I have never blackmailed anyone, let alone Charlie Kirk."
In a series of posts, Ackman said misinformation had spread on social media after the Hamptons gathering, which he said was held at a hotel in Bridgehampton and not at his home. He acknowledged covering travel, food and lodging for participants but said the event was not secret, that no attendees signed nondisclosure agreements and that "everyone including the Turning Point representatives who attended are totally free to share whatever they want about what took place and what was discussed." He asked readers to "ask yourself whether Charlie sounds like someone who I threatened, blackmailed and/or was the subject of an 'intervention' about Israel or otherwise."
Ackman, founder of Pershing Square Capital Management and a noted supporter of Israel, also directly rejected reporting by the left-leaning site Grayzone that he and other pro-Israel influencers had pressured Kirk to rescind an invitation to former Fox News host Tucker Carlson. Ackman said he did not complain to Kirk about Carlson, adding that he asked Kirk why Carlson had criticized him and was told Kirk did not know why. "He told me that he thought my statement in response to Tucker was 'a great one,'" Ackman wrote.
Owens had accused Ackman of participating in an "intervention" alongside donors and, she alleged, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, to confront Kirk about his stance on Israel. Ackman called those claims "slanderous" and said he never threatened Kirk, Turning Point USA or anyone associated with the organization.
Kirk, 31, was fatally shot last Wednesday while speaking at a Turning Point USA event in Utah. Police arrested 22-year-old Tyler Robinson in connection with the shooting; authorities have not publicly tied the killing to Kirk's views on the Middle East. The Anti-Defamation League reported that more than 10,000 posts on X linked Israel to Kirk's death without evidence.
Owens issued a statement responding to coverage of the episode, calling a New York Post report "a propagandist outfit for Israel which has employed, at various times, literal IDF soldiers for writers," and saying she had "no interest in participating in another predictable, radical-Zionist hit piece." The New York Post said it had sought comment from Tucker Carlson, Turning Point USA and the Israeli government.
In his posts, Ackman also urged caution against rushed conspiracy theories in the wake of Kirk's death, writing that the shock and distress people felt should not be allowed to "construct conspiracy theories that can cause innocent people serious and potentially deadly harm. One tragic and devastating loss is enough." He noted that some attendees had already spoken about the Hamptons meeting and encouraged others to do so, while acknowledging some may fear criticism on social media.
The exchange Ackman released shows cordial planning for future meetings, with Kirk replying to Ackman’s invitation to dine with their spouses, and noting he and his family would be in New York several times that fall. Ackman concluded the thread by reiterating that anyone present at the event was free to recount what occurred.
The dispute over what transpired at the Hamptons gathering has amplified divisions within conservative circles over Israel and the limits of donor influence. It comes amid heightened scrutiny of online misinformation and the flow of unverified claims following the killing of a high-profile political activist.
Ackman's posts and the screenshot of the WhatsApp conversation represent an effort to inject verified private communications into a public controversy, as advocates on multiple sides press their narratives. The release did not prompt an immediate response from Owens, nor did Ackman provide additional witnesses' accounts beyond his statement that some attendees had already spoken publicly.
Law enforcement in Utah continues to investigate the shooting that claimed Kirk's life. Meanwhile, the online debate about the Hamptons event and the role of influencers and donors in shaping conservative organizations remains active, with competing accounts and limited corroboration publicly available.