Billionaire hedge fund manager Bill Ackman endorsed U.S. former President Donald Trump on Saturday in the Republican's rematch race against President Joe Biden, shortly after Trump was shot in the ear at a campaign rally.

"I am going to formally endorse @realDonaldTrump," Ackman posted, opens new tab on social media platform X. "I assure you that I have made this decision carefully, rationally, and by relying on as much empirical data as possible".

Ackman followed Tesla CEO Elon Musk, who endorsed Trump and expressed "hope for his rapid recovery" from the shooting, in which Trump was hit in the upper right ear but said by his campaign to be doing fine.

Ackman's endorsement marks a change from 2021. After the attack by Trump supporters on the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, Ackman posted, opens new tab that Trump should "resign and apologize to all Americans."

The chief executive and portfolio manager of Pershing Square Capital Management said he had recently spent a few hours with Trump but did not explain the reasoning behind his endorsement.

https://www.reuters.com/world/us/bil...ce-2024-07-14/