Billionaire investor Bill Ackman is currently visiting Israel and appears more optimistic than ever about the Israeli economy and the country's future.
"After October 7, Neri [Ackman’s wife Neri Oxman] and I bought a 5% stake in the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange following just an hour-long meeting. We viewed the stock market as representing capitalism in the country. I believe in Israel. I believed in it then, and even more so afterward, and I think it will become one of the best economies in the world." Ackman was speaking in conversation with Prof. Yitshak Kreiss, director general of Sheba Medical Center, who interviewed him at the ARC Summit held this week.
What brings you to Israel today?
"This conference. Also, I'm married to an amazing Israeli woman who believes in Israel and in the importance of voting, so we came to vote."
What is the Israeli economy’s advantage? How should we navigate the world of AI?
"Your disadvantage is your small size. But in the world of AI, having a large population isn't necessarily an asset. The US is in debt precisely because it has a large population; the same goes for France. Israel has the most IQ and IP per capita, and that is the most important factor for an economy.
"In the past, Israeli entrepreneurs tended to sell their companies early on; now, people realize the value of selling at a later stage. In five to ten years, you'll have a billion-dollar company, and then you’ll be glad you have a small population, because that value will be shared among fewer people."
On politics, Ackman remarked: "Among the party leaders, I have only met with Netanyahu, so I don’t wish to comment on the other candidates. I think Netanyahu defended the country well during the war, effectively hitting the reset button on the Middle East. The prospects for peace have improved, while the risks have diminished. And we have a US President who is deeply committed to resolving this issue. Since he no longer has to worry about future elections, he is free to act according to his own convictions. He views Iran as a threat, and if the Iranian issue can be dealt with, it could yield a significant peace dividend for the entire region.
"In the US, I’m concerned about the rise of the social democrats. They pose a risk to both capitalism and Israel."
The new brain institute
Ackman recounted the incident that prompted him, about a month ago, to announce the establishment of the AOI Institute in New York, which will focus on brain health.
"Everyone has a story to tell about medical care, everyone has experienced a medical event. One day, I was sleeping next to my beautiful Israeli wife when the doorbell, which never rings, suddenly rang, followed by someone pounding on the door. I got up in my boxers, and the person at the entrance handed me a phone. My eldest daughter was on the line. She told me that my younger daughter, Lucy, had fallen and was barely breathing. They were trying to figure out where to take her-and that marked the beginning of a journey."
It turned out that Lucy had suffered a hemorrhage as early as 9:00 am, caused by a ruptured vein in her brain, but she wasn't found until 4:00 pm, and it wasn't until 2:00 am that the hospital in Queens realized what had happened. "Usually, patients aren't operated on at all after five hours since the event. Fortunately we didn't know exactly when it occurred.
"It was a hospital in Queens that wasn't particularly well-funded, but the surgeon was from Mount Sinai and talented so we transferred her there. I told them, 'We have an opportunity here. You have as much money as it takes to do whatever needs to be done. We’ll learn a great deal from this, and we’ll share that knowledge with everyone.' That was the day the medical center was conceived.
"I have dedicated a vast amount of my own time, and that of my family, to her recovery, and over the last five months to establishing the institute, which will help with some of the problems of recovering from a brain injury, as well as on longevity.
"Today, Lucy understands everything, she’s the same person, complete with her sense of humor and her memories. It’s difficult to be certain, as she struggles to speak, but that’s my impression. The right side of her body is weak, and she doesn’t see well. She has reached the pinnacle of recovery for someone in her condition. Our child is still there, though there is still work to be done on a few things."
Ackman acknowledges that the treatment he was able to secure for his daughter is exceptional and inaccessible to the general population, but the experience did not lead him to advocate for a more socialist healthcare system-perhaps rather the opposite. "Healthcare accounts for too large a share of GDP. Because of incentives and regulation, the sector isn’t as innovative as it should be. The high costs stem from a lack of preventive medicine.
"At the end of April, we decided to pursue our goal by establishing a brain institute within Mount Sinai. We soon realized, however, that this would take too long-I wanted to move faster. Twenty days later, we learned of a suitable building that was being sold at a low price. We acquired it within seven days, followed by additional properties in the vicinity. We want to build something four times the size of Rockefeller University. We’ve recruited experts in basic and applied science, as well as product people.
"Artificial intelligence will make healthcare more accessible. This is already happening: we consult with her medical team daily at 4:00 PM, and for every decision we confer with Dr. Claude, an excellent physician. In fact, it’s becoming irresponsible not to consult him, about risks, drug interactions, and predicting the impact of innovative treatments. Superintelligence is thus within our grasp, across a variety of fields-including education: a private tutor for every child."
Are we heading toward a better world?
"People often lose sight of the broader context. Life in 2026 is better than it was 50 to 100 years ago. We carry superintelligence in our pockets, and we’re on the verge of curing many diseases. The real risk lies in our political systems-ensuring we have the right leaders. Soon, we’ll understand how the brain functions, we’ll be able to read people's thoughts, and we’ll have witness tremendous progress."
Published by Globes, Israel business news - en.globes.co.il - on October 22, 2026.
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