Billionaire Bill Ackman drops $80K on GoFundMe for widow and three kids of fallen Major Alex Klinner
WASHINGTON, DC: Billionaire hedge fund manager Bill Ackman has apparently donated $80,000 to the grieving family of US Air Force Major John “Alex” Klinner, who was killed in a KC-135 refueling aircraft crash in western Iraq on March 12.
The massive contribution stands as the top donation on the official GoFundMe campaign “Honoring Major Alex Klinner — Supporting Libby & Children,” organized by Klinner’s sister-in-law Sarah Rose Harrill for his widow, Libby Klinner, and their three small children. As of this writing, the page has already raised $968,591 of a $1.5 million goal.
Air Force Major Alex Klinner killed in Iraq aircraft crash
Klinner, 33, an Auburn University graduate who earned his mechanical engineering degree in 2016, had just been promoted to major in January and deployed less than a week before the fatal crash during Operation Epic Fury. He was one of six crew members killed when the plane went down in friendly airspace in an incident involving another aircraft, not the result of enemy fire, according to the US military.
The Birmingham-area resident, assigned to the 6th Air Refueling Wing at MacDill Air Force Base in Florida but stationed locally, left behind Libby and their two-year-old son and seven-month-old twins. The family had only recently moved into a new home.
Libby Klinner posted on Instagram, “On March 12, our world shattered. Alex and his crew were on the plane that crashed in Iraq. I’m devastated to lose the best person I know — the person that made everything more fun, my best friend. But even more so, my heart is broken for our three kids who will grow up not knowing him.”
She added, “They won’t get to see firsthand the way he would jump up to help in any way he could. They won’t see how goofy and funny he was. They won’t witness his selflessness, the way he thought about everyone else before himself. They won’t get to feel the deep love he had for them.”
Sarah Rose Harrill, who launched the fundraiser, described her brother-in-law as a steady leader and generous soul. “Alex was one of those guys that had this steady command about him,” she said. “He was literally one of the most kindest, giving people.”
GoFundMe fundraiser for Major Alex Klinner’s family draws widespread support
The campaign has drawn an outpouring of support.
Funds are earmarked for Libby and the children “to help support their needs as they navigate life without Alex, providing stability, care, and the ability to focus on healing in the months and years ahead,” according to the page.
Harrill wrote, “We are raising funds for my sister, Libby Klinner, as she navigates the unimaginable loss of her husband, Alex.” She added a plea for prayers, “We are fervently praying for peace and strength over this family and trust that God will surround them with His comfort and supernatural peace.”
The fundraiser saw a rapid rise in donations following Klinner’s identification as one of the fallen airmen.
Bill Ackman’s history of large GoFundMe donations
The Pershing Square Capital Management CEO has a history of making large, public GoFundMe donations to families and individuals affected by tragedy. The campaigns are often law-enforcement or service-related causes.
In January this year, Ackman contributed $10,000 to the fundraiser for ICE officer Jonathan Ross after a fatal shooting in Minneapolis. He publicly confirmed the gift on X, saying he also tried to support the victim’s family GoFundMe before it closed after hitting its $1.5 million goal.
His $80,000 gift to the Klinner family now leads the donor list on the page, listed plainly under “William Ackman.” No statement from Ackman has appeared on the matter so far, which is rather consistent with many of his past donations.
