Hedge fund billionaire and vocal pro-Trump commentator Bill Ackman has donated $10,000 to the controversial fundraiser for Jonathan Ross, the immigration agent who was caught on camera fatally shooting Renee Good in Minneapolis last week.
AFP via Getty Images
Key Takeaways
- Ackman, who endorsed Trump in the 2024 election, said he supported the fundraiser for Ross because he is a “big believer in our legal principal [sic] that one is innocent until proven guilty.”
- The billionaire said he also intended to support a similar fundraising page set up for the family of Good, but that hers was closed by the time he went to make the donation.
- Donations to the GoFundMe page for Good’s family paused over the weekend after it raised $1.5 million in two days, including a $50,000 anonymous donation and $10,000 from social media activist Carlos Eduardo Espina.
- The $1.5 million is 30 times the page’s initial goal of $50,000 and the organizer said the money would be placed in a trust for Good’s family, encouraging anyone else who wishes to donate to find other causes.
- The page to support Ross, which calls Good a “domestic terrorist” and claims Ross was “1000 percent justified in the shooting,” raised nearly $375,000 since it was created three days ago.
- Ackman is by far the largest donor, followed by an anonymous donation of $5,000 and 14 donations of $1,000.
Crucial Quote
‘The whole situation is a tragedy,” Ackman wrote about the killing on X. “Our country is stronger if we work together to resolve the complex issues that are tearing us apart.”
Key Background
Good was shot and killed in an interaction with ICE agents in her Minneapolis neighborhood Wednesday. Her wife, Becca, said the couple had “stopped to support our neighbors” after an ICE enforcement operation when Good was shot while behind the wheel of her car. President Trump and his administration has aggressively portrayed Good as an extremist, with the Department of Homeland Security claiming Good “weaponized her vehicle, attempting to run over our law enforcement officers in an attempt to kill them.” But video evidence analyzed by experts and analysts largely suggests otherwise.Video shows Good’s car had turned away from the officer as it began moving but did touch him. The latest video also appears to capture someone calling Good a “fucking bitch” after the fatal shooting. When pressed on whether it was Ross’s voice saying the slur, DHS Secretary Kristi Noem told CNN, “It could be.”
Forbes Valuation
Ackman, a hedge fund manager, has an estimated net worth of $9.3 billion as of Monday to be the 359th richest person in the world. He’s known for his online presence and outspokenness on issues of the day. He’s been vocal about complaints of antisemitism on college campuses, his comments on the New York City mayoral race and is famous for calling Donald Trump the “most pro-business president we’ve ever had.” Ackman was once described by the New York Times as “famously obstinate.” When asked by the New Yorker last year about his sudden emergence as a political activist, he pointed to his last name and said, “My name is Ackman — it’s like Activist Man.”
Look back on the week that was with hand-picked articles from Australia and around the world. Sign up to the Forbes Australia newsletter here or become a member here.
This story was originally published on forbes.com and all figures are in USD.
