Bill Ackman Promises $1 Million Fund To Support Charlie Kirk's Family And Matches Contribution To Help FBI Catch His Killer

Namrata Sen

September 12, 2025

Following the assassination of conservative political activist Charlie Kirk, billionaire investor Bill Ackman has pledged to create a $1 million endowment for Kirk’s family alongside a contribution to the FBI reward.

Ackman Pledges Endowment For Charlie's Family

Ackman announced his plans on X, stating, “I am going to create a $1,000,000 ‘endowment’ for Charlie's family. I will invest $1m for the family for free and will give them 5% of the principal each year so they have a growing stream of income for the future with the ability to tap the endowment for emergencies.”

He responded to another X user who suggested that money should be donated to the Kirk family, rather than spending it on finding the killer.

Ackman has also offered $1 million contribution to the FBI reward announced for any information on Charlie’s shooter.

I am going to create a $1,000,000 ';endowment' for Charlie's family. I will invest $1m for the family for free and will give them 5% of the principal each year so they have a growing stream of income for the future with the ability to tap the endowment for emergencies.
— Bill Ackman (@BillAckman) September 12, 2025

Gun Stocks Surge After Kirk's Tragic Killing

This generous pledge comes in the wake of the tragic assassination of Charlie Kirk, a prominent conservative political activist and Trump ally. Kirk was shot and killed while speaking at Utah Valley University in Orem on Wednesday, sparking a federal investigation and bipartisan condemnation of the violent incident.

Later on Thursday, the FBI released two photos of a person of interest in the shooting of Kirk, offering a $100,000 reward for information. Conservative activists, Alex Bruesewitz and Robby Starbuck, have added $25,000 each to the FBI award.

The assassination of Kirk led to a volatile market for gun stocks like Sturm Ruger & Company (NYSE:RGR), Smith & Wesson Brands Inc. (NASDAQ:SWBI), with shares of gun and ammunition manufacturers moving higher. This was further compounded by a school shooting in Colorado. The news of Ackman’s endowment for Kirk’s family comes amid a period of heightened attention on the issue of gun violence and its impact on the stock market.

READ NEXT:

Slain Trump Ally Charlie Kirk Was A Vocal Crypto Enthusiast And Investor, Labeled Bitcoin As Having More ‘Integrity’ Than Dollar

Image Credit: Nick King/Lansing State Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.

Recommended

Hit Your Retirement Income Goal With 10X Less Money - Ad

The "Mar-A-Lago Accord" Is Now Underway - Ad

Nvidia Is About to Shock the World: October 23rd - Ad

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump's administration said Wednesday it was putting a hold on roughly $18 billion to fund beneath the Hudson River between New York City and New Jersey and the city's expanded project because of .

Benzinga Bulls And Bears: Oracle, Costco, NIO — And Wall Street Snaps Its Slide

Benzinga examined the prospects for many investors' favorite stocks over the last week — here's a look at some of our top stories.

The Tesla Shock Nobody Sees Coming

The Tesla Shock Nobody Sees Coming - Ad

While headlines scream "Tesla is doomed"...Jeff Brown has uncovered a revolutionary AI breakthrough buried inside Tesla's labs. One that is helping AI escape from our computer screens and manifest itself here in the real world all while creating a 25,000% growth market explosion starting as early as October 23rd.

Cathie Wood Dumps $5.2 Million Worth of This AI Stock, Here's What Ark Bought Instead

Ark Invest decided to sell shares of Tempus AI (TEM), despite positive news of FDA clearance for its diagnostic device. They also made other key trades.

Penguin Solutions Q4 Preview: Modest Beat Likely, Analyst Raises Price Target

Penguin Solutions expected to beat estimates in Q4 due to strong memory demand, according to Rosenblatt analyst. Price target raised.

Elon's $25 Trillion Confession

Elon's $25 Trillion Confession - Ad

Elon Musk: "Tesla will become a $25 trillion company." That would make Tesla 8x bigger than Apple today. How is that possible? He admits it's all thanks to this one AI breakthrough that will take AI out of our computer screens and manifest a 250x boom here in the real world.

Trump files $15 billion defamation lawsuit against The New York Times

NEW YORK (AP) — President Donald Trump filed a $15 billion defamation lawsuit against The New York Times and four of its journalists on Monday, according to court documents.

Trump's Immigration Policies Could 'Shrink' GDP Growth As US Population Projected To Decline, Warns CBO

The U.S. population growth is expected to decline at a faster rate than previously projected due to President Donald Trump's immigration policies, according to the Congressional Budget Office (CBO).

New Biotech Offering Targets $426B Rare Disease Market

New Biotech Offering Targets $426B Rare Disease Market - Ad

The rare disease drug space is growing fast-and so is investor interest. With exclusivity, pricing power and major M&A moves, the rare disease space is getting interesting. This company has the science and the experience.

Elon Musk Back Atop Billionaires List, Tesla CEO Almost Recovers Lost Wealth Since Joining Hands With Trump

Elon Musk almost recovers wealth lost since aligning with Trump for 2024 election; now richest person thanks to surging Tesla stocks.

Elon Musk And Sam Altman May Not Agree On Everything, But On This One Topic Their Ideas Align

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman sparked debate by saying society was "better off with phone call culture," echoing other tech leaders and research showing most meetings kill productivity.

Rare Disease Biotech Offers Access Ahead of Key Milestone

Rare Disease Biotech Offers Access Ahead of Key Milestone - Ad

This late-stage biotech is gearing up for Phase 2 trials with an FDA-designated orphan drug. It's already drawing comparisons to recent billion-dollar exits. Backed by a proven biotech incubator, it's now offering early access to its raise.

Big Tech's energy-hungry data centers could be bumped off grids during power emergencies

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — With the explosive growth of Big Tech's data centers threatening to overload U.S. electricity grids, policymakers are taking a hard look at a tough-love solution: bumping the energy-hungry data centers off grids during power emergencies.

$1000 Invested In Alnylam Pharmaceuticals 5 Years Ago Would Be Worth This Much Today

Alnylam Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: ALNY) has outperformed the market over the past 5 years by 10.45% on an annualized basis producing an average annual return of 25.22%. Currently, Alnylam Pharmaceuticals has a market capitalization of $57.78 billion.

Biotech With Multiple Orphan Drugs Is Quietly Opening Its Doors

Biotech With Multiple Orphan Drugs Is Quietly Opening Its Doors - Ad

A promising biotech developing treatments for rare childhood brain diseases is opening a new raise. Its lead drug has fast-track status, orphan designations, is nearing Phase 2 and backed by a Global Integrator.

Trump Makes Chinese Stocks Great Again — Until Someone Mentions Tariffs

President Donald Trump's recent optimistic remarks on negotiations with China have given a boost to U.S.-listed Chinese stocks.

Trump and Xi are set to discuss the TikTok deal and future of US-China relations

WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. is expected to talk with Chinese leader Xi Jinping on Friday in a push to finalize a deal to allow the popular social media app in the United States.

Hit Your Retirement "Freedom Number" (Without $1 Million)

Hit Your Retirement "Freedom Number" (Without $1 Million) - Ad

Retirement should be freedom, not stress. Yet outdated advice and tiny returns leave many trapped. Kelly G. broke free with a revolutionary income strategy once reserved for the wealthy - hitting her "Freedom Number" faster than she dreamed. You might already have enough too.

Denmark leads an exercise in Greenland, with Russia in mind at a time of tensions with the US

NUUK, Greenland (AP) — Denmark is leading a military exercise with hundreds of troops from several European NATO members in Greenland, a maneuver that coincides with over the Trump administration's desire for U.S. jurisdiction over the vast Arctic territory.

Benzinga Bulls And Bears: Intel, FedEx, Cracker Barrel — And Markets Close At Record Highs

Benzinga examined the prospects for many investors' favorite stocks over the last week — here's a look at some of our top stories.

Turn Your "Dead Money" Into $306+ Monthly (Starting This Month)

Turn Your "Dead Money" Into $306+ Monthly (Starting This Month) - Ad

I've been tracking a financial revolution that most people don't even know exists yet. It lets you generate $306 to $5,000 per month in retirement income... With 10X less money than what financial advisors say you need! This is a new type of investment you can buy with one click in your brokerage account.

Bitcoin, Ethereum, XRP, Dogecoin Start Monday With Weakness

Cryptocurrency markets are trending down on Monday morning.

US orders Delta and Aeromexico to dissolve their partnership over fairness concerns in Mexico

U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy is following through on to force Delta and Aeromexico to dissolve their longtime partnership because of his concerns that Mexico isn't being fair to U.S. airlines.

Hit Your Retirement Income Goal With 10X Less Money

Hit Your Retirement Income Goal With 10X Less Money - Ad

Financial advisors say you need $1.5M to generate $5,000/month. A revolutionary new investment does it with potentially $150,000. Kelly G: "I updated my spreadsheet and it seems illegal. The income keeps growing." Transform non-dividend stocks like Apple and Tesla into monthly income machines. Bloomberg reports they're "entering a golden era." Simple as buying a stock.

Supermicro Unveils New AI Servers In Madrid As Nvidia Partnership Deepens

Super Micro Computer (SMCI) unveils new AI-optimized servers at its INNOVATE! event in Madrid, featuring Nvidia's latest GPUs.

AquaBounty Technologies Stock Explodes Over 98% After Hours: Here's Why

AquaBounty Technologies saw a massive 98.25% surge in after-hours trading to $2.26, following confirmation that it had met NASDAQ's minimum bid price requirement, resolving its earlier delisting risk.

The "Mar-A-Lago Accord" Is Now Underway

The "Mar-A-Lago Accord" Is Now Underway - Ad

The global order is in chaos. And according to 40-year market veteran Dr. David Eifrig, the biggest controlled demolition of the old monetary order in history could now be here, too. That means if you don't take action today, your wealth could decline by 40%... (Yes, even your cash savings.)

Rivals Compass and Anywhere Real Estate to combine in deal valued at $10 billion including debt

Two of the nation's biggest real estate services companies are combining in a deal that will bring Century 21, Compass and several other major brokerage brands under the same umbrella.

Stock Market Today: Nasdaq, S&P 500 Futures Gain As FOMC Begins Its 2-Day Meet — Tesla, Adtran, Ferguson In Focus

U.S. stock futures advanced on Tuesday following Monday's positive moves. Futures of major benchmark indices were higher.

Nvidia Is About to Shock the World: October 23rd

Nvidia Is About to Shock the World: October 23rd - Ad

Jeff Brown, the tech legend who picked shares of Nvidia in 2016 before they jumped by more than 22,000%, is warning everyone to... Mark this date on your calendar: October 23rd! That's when Nvidia could help send shares of this Elon Musk supplier skyrocketing higher.

uCloudlink's GlocalMe Taps Into U.S. Pet Boom With PetPhone After Market Re-Entry

uCloudlink Group's consumer brand GlocalMe is making a renewed push into the U.S. with the launch of PetPhone, an AI-powered device designed to let pets and owners stay connected.

3 Gold Mining Stocks Shine As Prices Hit Records

Gold mining stocks Anglogold Ashanti, Coeur Mining, and New Gold join the top 10% for quality as gold prices hit fresh highs.

The Tesla Shock Nobody Sees Coming

The Tesla Shock Nobody Sees Coming - Ad

Toyota and Hyundai recall more than 1.1 million vehicles for seat belt, panel display problems

Toyota and Hyundai are recalling a combined 1.1 million vehicles due to problems with the instrument panel displays and seat belts, U.S. auto regulators said Thursday.

Lam Research And JSR Resolve Legal Disputes As They Team Up On AI Era Chips

Lam Research and JSR Corp agreed to collaborate and cross-license, combining their expertise to accelerate semiconductor manufacturing and reduce costs.

Elon's $25 Trillion Confession

Elon's $25 Trillion Confession - Ad

AstraZeneca's Fasenra Falls Short In Smoker's Lung Trial

AstraZeneca's Fasenra misses the primary COPD endpoint while Saphnelo's lupus trial shows significant improvements and consistent safety profiles.

Lockheed Martin Counters Boeing's F-47 Victory With Cost-Effective F-35 Upgrade Using Sixth-Gen Technology

Lockheed Martin is countering Boeing's F-47 win with a cost-effective F-35 upgrade that integrates sixth-generation tech, aiming to offer 80% of the F-47's capabilities at half the price.

New Biotech Offering Targets $426B Rare Disease Market

New Biotech Offering Targets $426B Rare Disease Market - Ad

UNHCR official warns that the 1951 refugee convention is increasingly under threat

The U.N. refugee agency said Wednesday that governments around the world, especially in the Global North, and , are increasingly undermining the global convention on refugees and asylum-seekers — even threatening its very existence.

Trending Now