Chipotle has publicly clarified that billionaire investor Bill Ackman has no current connection to the company after online backlash over his reported $10,000 donation to a fundraiser supporting the ICE agent who fatally shot Renee Nicole Good in Minneapolis.
In a brief reply posted on Threads, the restaurant chain wrote: “Bill Ackman is not affiliated with Chipotle.”
The post, which can be seen here, had received more than 10,000 likes as of Monday, January 12, from Chipotle’s verified Threads account.
Chipotle was responding to a separate Threads post from user Ann.marshall. 1048, who wrote: “Don’t eat at Chipotle. The guy who owns it just gave $10000 to the man who killed Renee Good. Let’s boycott this restaurant.”
At the time of writing, that post had drawn more than 43,000 likes. Newsweek has reached out to Ann.marshall. 1048.
Why It Matters
Calls to boycott Chipotle began circulating online after Ackman was linked to a GoFundMe created to support Jonathan Ross, the ICE agent involved in Good’s death.
The donation drew attention on Sunday, when a donor listed as “William Ackman” contributed $10,000 to the fundraiser, which was set up by Clyde Emmons. As speculation spread, Ackman later confirmed on X that he made the donation.
In his post, Ackman described the incident as “a tragedy,” and said the officer was “doing his best to do his job.” He also referred to Good as a “protester who likely did not intend to kill the officer but whose actions in a split second led to her death.”
Good’s death sparked unrest in Minneapolis and drew widespread condemnation online. Ackman’s donation was seen by critics as an endorsement of Ross’s actions. Author and activist Shannon Watts was among those who criticized the contribution, calling it “reward money for shooting a mother of three in the face.”
What To Know
Ackman became closely associated with Chipotle in 2016, when he bought a 9.9 percent stake in the company for roughly $1 billion, making Pershing Square Capital Management one of Chipotle’s largest shareholders at the time.
Over the years, Pershing Square steadily reduced its position. During a third-quarter earnings call in November, investors were told the firm had sold its remaining shares.
Even so, Chipotle appears to have felt the need to address the renewed attention and correct the public record. A company spokesperson told Newsweek: “Bill Ackman is not affiliated with Chipotle and is no longer a shareholder of the Company.”
What Happens Next
So far, there is no clear indication that boycott efforts are expanding beyond Chipotle.
Ackman does, however, hold a significant stake in Restaurant Brands International (RBI), the parent company of Burger King, Tim Hortons, Popeyes, and Firehouse Subs. In 2024, Pershing Square increased its RBI holdings to 27.3 million shares—about 8.5 percent of the company.
