No investor other than perhaps Stevie Cohen has garnered the criticism that Bill Ackman has in 2013. His controversial investments in J.C. Penney (JCP) and Herbalife (HLF) have generated a lot of headlines, as has his sparring with Carl Icahn and Daniel Loeb, but Ackman has been a very successful investor over the years, which shouldn’t be forgotten. His investments in companies such as General Growth Properties and Canadian Pacific have been huge winners and Ackman has put together a solid track record. In my personal opinion, Ackman’s assault on Herbalife was flawed form the start. After reading his entire presentation twice, I failed to emerge with the belief that the company was a Pyramid Scheme, and I understand the criticism because he attempted to annihilate both the company and its employees’ reputations. I found this to be a very solid interview from Charlie Rose who generally does a great job.
http://www.gurufocus.com/news/233768/bill-ackman-interview-on-charlie-rose-2013