Bill Ackman labeled 'hypocrite' as plagiarism allegations surface in academic work of wife Neri Oxman

NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK: Billionaire investor Bill Ackman spent weeks as one of the most vocal critics demanding Harvard President Claudine Gay's resignation over allegations of plagiarism.

But in an ironic twist, his wife is now facing accusations of failing to properly attribute sources in her academic work. Ackman’s differing responses to similar claims of scholarly misconduct have exposed him to charges of blatant hypocrisy, as reported by Fortune Magazine.

Bill Ackman's wife Neri Oxman accused of plagiarism in 2010 doctoral dissertation

A recent report by Business Insider has brought forth accusations of plagiarism against Neri Oxman, the wife of billionaire hedge fund manager Bill Ackman.

According to the investigation, multiple paragraphs in Oxman's 2010 doctoral dissertation at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) were allegedly plagiarized, with at least one passage directly lifted from another writer, Claus Mattheck, without proper citation.

This revelation surfaces amid the backdrop of Ackman's vocal stance on plagiarism allegations against Harvard President Claudine Gay, where he cited these accusations as a reason for advocating her removal.

Ackman, who holds a significant social media presence with over 1 million followers on X, responded to the ongoing scrutiny faced by his wife, stating, "You know you struck a chord when they go after your wife."

In response to the allegations, Oxman publicly addressed the issue, admitting to the oversight in failing to cite Mattheck when paraphrasing a particular sentence in her dissertation.

She acknowledged the necessity of proper citation and expressed regret for not placing the subject language in quotation marks, which she recognized as "the proper approach for crediting the work."

Bill Ackman married Neri Oxman while she was working as professor at MIT's Media Lab

Oxman, 47, married Ackman in 2019 during her tenure as a professor at MIT's Media Lab. With a background as a first lieutenant in the Israeli Air Force and a graduate of the Architectural Association School of Architecture in London, Oxman's academic journey led her to MIT in 2005.

She obtained her PhD in design computation from MIT, specializing in 'material ecology,' a field integrating disciplines such as computational design, architectural elements, and synthetic biology.

Departing MIT in 2020, she established her venture, Oxman, dedicated to driving innovation in product, architectural, and urban design.

Internet reacts with criticism and mockery at Bill Ackman

The news of Oxman's plagiarism accusations has triggered a wave of criticism and mockery directed at Ackman across social media. Users were quick to point out what they perceived as hypocrisy in Ackman's behavior.

One X user commented, "The tangled web we weave." Another user pointed out the apparent double standard, commenting, "Bill Ackman was so hard on Claudine Gay, but when it comes to his wife he doesn't apply the same standards. What a hypocrite!"

A third user quipped, "Is this what they mean by 'slippery slope'? I get it now." Meanwhile, a different individual humorously anticipated, "Looking forward to Bill's op-ed in a major newspaper demanding his wife's resignation."

In a more philosophical tone, a fifth user mused, "What goes up must come down." Expressing dismay, a sixth user exclaimed, "God!!! What hypocrisy."

 

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