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Billionaire Bill Ackman Celebrates His Bar Mitzvah at 58 with Tefillin Ceremony in His Office
Hedge fund tycoon Bill Ackman marked his Bar Mitzvah by putting on tefillin before Yom Kippur, honoring Jewish tradition and dedicating the moment to the victims of recent tragedies
(photo: shutterstock)Jewish billionaire Bill Ackman, chairman of one of the world’s largest hedge funds, decided to mark his Bar Mitzvah at the age of 58 — in a most unusual way. Instead of throwing a lavish party, Ackman chose to honor the Jewish tradition by putting on tefillin in his office.
Ackman, one of the leading figures on Wall Street with an estimated net worth exceeding $9 billion, prayed and recited the Shema Yisrael before Yom Kippur, guided by Yossi Faro, a Chabad Chasid.
Faro shared his excitement on X (formerly Twitter), writing: “Mazel tov on your Bar Mitzvah! It was an absolute pleasure to put on tefillin with Bill Ackman — one of the world’s most recognized leaders and a proud Jew.”
Ackman is known as a major philanthropist in the Jewish community, especially since the start of the war. He has become a vocal advocate against antisemitism, a cause inspired by his late father, Larry Ackman, who always encouraged him to take a stand on Jewish issues.
The event concluded with Ackman’s heartfelt gesture — donning tefillin in memory of the victims of the recent massacre.
