Billionaire's Dating Tip Met With Widespread Cringe
Hedge fund manager Bill Ackman, a prominent billionaire and supporter of Donald Trump, decided to offer his perspective on modern romance over the weekend. In a post on the social media platform X, Ackman claimed that online culture has severely damaged the ability to spontaneously meet strangers. He then shared a piece of advice from his youth, suggesting that young men use the line, "May I meet you?" to initiate conversations with interesting people.
Ackman, who married Neri Oxman in 2019 after divorcing his first wife Karen Herskovitz following a 24-year marriage, insisted the line was highly effective. "I almost never got a No," he claimed in his November 15 post. He attributed its success to proper grammar and politeness and recommended it for women seeking men and same-sex interactions as well.
Social Media Erupts with Mockery and Memes
The internet's response was swift and overwhelmingly critical. Many users on X immediately began clowning the advice, with one calling it "some crazy unc advice" and another flatly declaring, "it's not gonna work." The phrase "May I meet you?" quickly became a viral meme.
Some users took the joke a step further by testing the line in public and reporting back with humorous, fictionalized results. One user, Riley, tweeted, "just tried this at the cafe and had 7 different women call the authorities, which i understand is a common way of playing 'hard to get' (i'm now banned from the cafe)." Another user, Murray Hill Guy, posted a GIF of a man being slapped in response to the pickup line.
A Stark Reminder of the Celebrity Bubble
Beyond the immediate humor, the incident sparked a broader conversation about the disconnect between the ultra-wealthy and everyday social norms. One user, Soho Hank, commented, "Obviously hilarious, but also a great reminder of how far removed billionaires/celebrities are from actual society. They have zero clue how normal people interact."
Other observers noted the sheer virality of the moment. A user named Heisenberg pointed out that this may be Ackman's most viral moment since his "Hell is coming" CNBC segment during the March 2020 COVID-19 market crash. The online frenzy suggests that while Ackman's dating technique may not win many hearts, it certainly captured the internet's attention, turning a piece of unsolicited advice into a full-blown cultural moment of collective cringe and comedy.
