What did Bill Ackman do after undergrad and before MBA?

Graduated Harvard College in 1988.
Received MBA from Harvard Business School in 1992.
Starts Gotham Partners in 1992.
After winding down Gotham Partners in 1992, opens Pershing Square Capital.

But does anyone know what he did from 1988-1992? Try to gauge what type of experience/knowledge he attained that enabled him to start a successful L/S HF.

26 Comments
 

Isn't it more likely that his success with Gotham Partners was more a function of pedigree, network, talent, timing, and a bit of luck than the 4 years between ugrad and MBA?

 

May be but the questions still valid, because you see that gap for a lot of the big guys. Undergrad in x MBA in y. Ok? And what did you do in between if I may ask?

I'm talking about liquid. Rich enough to have your own jet. Rich enough not to waste time. Fifty, a hundred million dollars, buddy. A player. Or nothing. See my Blog & AMA
 
.LSLS.

Isn't it more likely that his success with Gotham Partners was more a function of pedigree, network, talent, timing, and a bit of luck than the 4 years between ugrad and MBA?

Hmm...

 

to be fair here, I know a handful of guys who raised PE or hedge funds as well (in the last 2-3 years), and what they all had in common was a similarly wealthy family background and strong network (family/themselves). So, he's not that far off I guess.

I'm talking about liquid. Rich enough to have your own jet. Rich enough not to waste time. Fifty, a hundred million dollars, buddy. A player. Or nothing. See my Blog & AMA
 

http://therealdeal.com/2015/10/30/larry-ackman-sol-goldman-gave-me-my-f…

Ackman told a story about how he got his start in the business in 1962, when, as a freshly-minted graduate of Harvard Business School, he went to work at his father’s business Ackman and Companies.

“There’s no such thing as inheriting customers in a services business,” he said. “So for the first three or four years I did nothing but cold-call solicitation, going from office to office on what I called my milk route.” -Bill Ackman

 
"makecents"

http://therealdeal.com/2015/10/30/larry-ackman-sol...

Ackman told a story about how he got his start in the business in 1962, when, as a freshly-minted graduate of Harvard Business School, he went to work at his father's business Ackman and Companies.

"There's no such thing as inheriting customers in a services business," he said. "So for the first three or four years I did nothing but cold-call solicitation, going from office to office on what I called my milk route." -Larry Ackman

Fixed that for you. Regardless, still a pretty interesting story.

 

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