Political Donations Overshadowed By Ackman's Charitable Contributions

Taking a break from donating to political interests to hasten the downfall of Herbalife Ltd. (NYSE:HLF) and benefit his short position in the stock, activist hedge fund manager Bill Ackman announced a $17 million donation to Harvard University last week.

This time Ackman was donating to a panel of innovative scientists, providing grants to an age group and type of science that is often ignored by the National Institute of Health, according to Moses Chao, coordinator of the molecular neurobiology program at the NYU Langone Medical Center, who was quoted in a Bloomberg report that showered praise on Ackman’s...