Key Takeaways
- • Bill Ackman, founder and CEO of Pershing Square Capital Management, predicted Israel will produce a $1 trillion market-cap company within five to ten years.
- • Ackman said he remains "bullish" on Israel's economy and financial markets, describing the economy as one of the best in the world.
- • Ackman and his wife, Neri Oxman, bought a 5% stake in the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange in 2024.
- • Ackman argued Israel's small population, previously a disadvantage, could become an advantage in the AI era because larger economies carry heavier fiscal burdens.
- • Ackman said regional conflicts had "reset" the Middle East, reducing risk and improving peace prospects.
Summary
Billionaire investor Bill Ackman said on Thursday that he remains "bullish" on Israel's economy and financial markets, predicting the country would produce a $1 trillion company within a decade. Speaking at the Sheba Medical Center's annual ARC summit in Tel Aviv, Ackman said he became very bullish on Israel after the October 7, 2023 attacks and has grown more optimistic since, describing the economy as one of the best in the world.
Ackman acknowledged that Israel's main economic disadvantage is its small population relative to markets such as the United States and Europe. He argued, however, that size could become an advantage in the age of artificial intelligence, since larger economies face greater fiscal burdens. "The United States has $40 trillion of debt, and a lot of that debt comes from supporting a very large population," he said. He also said Israel's technology ecosystem has matured over the past decade, with entrepreneurs increasingly choosing to scale their companies rather than sell early to multinational firms. "There will be a trillion-dollar market cap company that comes out of Israel. I would be surprised if not in the next five years, let alone the next 10," he said.
Ackman, who together with his wife Neri Oxman bought a 5% stake in the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange in 2024, said a series of conflicts had "reset" the Middle East, improving prospects for peace and significantly reducing regional risk. He added that US President Donald Trump was working to eliminate the Iranian threat and that, if successful, "this is going to be a massive peace dividend in the region." Ackman also described Democratic Socialists as a "threat to democracy, capitalism, Israel, and the Jewish people" in remarks on US politics.
Ackman acknowledged that Israel's main economic disadvantage is its small population relative to markets such as the United States and Europe. He argued, however, that size could become an advantage in the age of artificial intelligence, since larger economies face greater fiscal burdens. "The United States has $40 trillion of debt, and a lot of that debt comes from supporting a very large population," he said. He also said Israel's technology ecosystem has matured over the past decade, with entrepreneurs increasingly choosing to scale their companies rather than sell early to multinational firms. "There will be a trillion-dollar market cap company that comes out of Israel. I would be surprised if not in the next five years, let alone the next 10," he said.
Ackman, who together with his wife Neri Oxman bought a 5% stake in the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange in 2024, said a series of conflicts had "reset" the Middle East, improving prospects for peace and significantly reducing regional risk. He added that US President Donald Trump was working to eliminate the Iranian threat and that, if successful, "this is going to be a massive peace dividend in the region." Ackman also described Democratic Socialists as a "threat to democracy, capitalism, Israel, and the Jewish people" in remarks on US politics.
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