A prominent American billionaire has inadvertently become the subject of a global internet meme festival after offering dating advice to the younger generation. Bill Ackman, founder of Pershing Square Capital Management, took to social media platform X to share his thoughts on modern romance, triggering a wave of mockery and disbelief.
The Viral Advice That Broke The Internet
On Saturday, the 59-year-old financier, whose net worth is estimated at $9.4 billion, posted his solution to what he perceives as a dating crisis. Ackman claimed that many young men struggle to meet women spontaneously due to online culture. He then revealed his secret weapon from his youth: the phrase "May I meet you?".
The billionaire asserted that this approach, combining proper grammar and politeness, was almost universally successful for him. "I almost never got a No," he confidently stated in his tweet, which has since been viewed almost 25 million times by Monday morning.
Social Media's Hilarious Response
The internet response was swift and merciless. Thousands of users pointed out that Ackman's success likely had more to do with his personal circumstances than his choice of words. Many noted that in his youth, Ackman was a 6'3" Harvard-educated man who founded his first investment firm in his twenties.
One user on X decided to test the theory in classic fashion, sharing a video of himself on a crowded New York City subway car. "Attention ladies of New York City, may I meet you?" he announced, following Ackman's script. The result was painfully awkward silence, with commuters barely looking up from their phones. "Bill Ackman's advice clearly was awful," the man concluded.
The meme machine went into overdrive, with users creating side-by-side comparisons showing how the same line would be received differently depending on whether it came from an attractive billionaire or an average person. Another user quipped about their own failed attempt: "thx bill, this is 'peak rizz' just tried this at the cafe and had 7 different women call the authorities."
A Surprising Twist and Ackman's Reaction
Despite the overwhelming mockery, some supporters emerged. One woman posted a video successfully using the "May I meet you?" line written on a piece of paper taped to her chest, eventually getting coffee with a man who approached her.
Ackman himself has been surprisingly good-humoured about the entire situation. He pinned the viral tweet to his profile and has been reposting both supportive responses and some of the jokes at his expense. The billionaire, who mentioned being "happily married" to Neri Oxman in his original post, seems to be enjoying the unprecedented attention his dating advice has generated.
The episode highlights the continuing conversation about dating in the digital age and the sometimes comical disconnect between different generations' approaches to romance.
