Pershing Square's Bill Ackman appeared on Bloomberg Television for an hour today from the Robin Hood Investors Conference in New York, telling Bloomberg TV's Stephanie Ruhle that he'll take his Herbalife bet "to the end of the earth" even as he has lost $400-$500 million on the investment. He also said that Herbalife longs are all 80-year old billionaires.
Carl Icahn responded to Ackman in a conversation with Bloomberg TV's Trish Regan, saying:
"I fail to understand how Bill Ackman, whom I haven't spoken to for years, nor do I intend to speak to, would know what I am or am not committed to. I continue to believe Herbalife has a great future, and in my opinion many of the things Ackman says about it are simply the rantings of a sore loser...Interestingly there is something that Ackman and I have in common. Ackman complained at an Oxford conference that every time I went on TV and mentioned Herbalife, the stock went up a few points. Well, that's also true of him."
Ackman
Icahn
Full transcript of Ackman interview available upon request.
Ackman Highlights:
- Lost $400-500 million on Herbalife
- Losses are mark-to-market
- 'Lots of ways we can be successful' on HLF
- Pershing has met with foreign regulators on HLF
- Herbalife re-audit should have been completed by now
- He doesn't know what FTC is doing on Herbalife
- Re-audit is a short-term catalyst if not done by December
- An Herbalife LBO is more opportunity to go short
- He'll take Herbalife bet 'to the end of the earth'
- Herbalife short 'not a trade for me'
- Skeptical of Icahn's belief in Herbalife long-term
- Puzzled by Bill Stiritz's Herbalife motivations
- Herbalife fits FTC OCT pyramid warning
- He has data on Herbalife distributor earnings
- Seeks third party auditor on Herbalife retail sales
- Herbalife longs are all 80-year old billionaires.
- He is not short JCPenney
- Hopes JCP becomes a very successful company
- He deserves his share of responsibility for JCP
