Bill Ackman and Tiger Woods are linked by one company: Nike. Ackman’s investment firm, Pershing Square, has bought Nike shares. Woods was a Nike athlete for more than 27 years.
That is a real overlap, but it is a small one. Owning shares in Nike is not the same as working with a Nike athlete. No verified public evidence shows a direct business deal, a joint venture, or a personal investment between Ackman and Woods. The facts are simple once you split the shareholder story from the sponsorship story.
What Connects Bill Ackman and Tiger Woods?
The only documented link between Bill Ackman and Tiger Woods is Nike. Ackman’s firm, Pershing Square Capital Management, has held Nike shares at different times. Woods built much of his public image alongside the brand. His partnership with Nike ran from 1996 to January 2024.
The two ties are very different. Ackman’s tie is financial, because he put money into a public company. Woods’s tie was commercial, because he wore the brand and helped build it on the course.
| Person | Nike connection | Time period |
|---|---|---|
| Bill Ackman / Pershing Square | Nike shares, followed by call options | 2017–2018 and 2024–2025 |
| Tiger Woods | Nike athlete and brand partner | 1996–January 2024 |
This table shows history, not current ownership or a current partnership.
A shared company does not mean a shared deal. Many people own Nike shares, and most of them have never met a Nike athlete. In the same way, an athlete who works with a brand has no say in who buys its stock. No public record shows that Ackman and Woods worked together, invested together, or are friends.
Bill Ackman’s Nike Investment Explained
Bill Ackman founded Pershing Square Capital Management, a firm known for large bets on public companies. It has reported Nike shares twice. The first time was around the end of 2017, when Reuters reported a stake of about 0.71%. Pershing Square exited in 2018, and Reuters put the profit at roughly $100 million.
The second time was in 2024. Reuters reported that the firm bought about 3 million Nike shares in the second quarter, which was roughly 0.19% of the company then. Later reports said the firm raised its Nike position by about 15% in the fourth quarter of 2024.
None of this explains why Ackman bought. An investment firm may look at sales, profit, brand strength, and leadership before it buys. The public facts do not say that Tiger Woods played any part in either decision.
Does Bill Ackman Still Own Nike Stock?
Pershing Square exited its Nike investment in 2025. By the end of 2024, the firm held about 18.8 million Nike shares. In early 2025, it converted those shares into deep-in-the-money call options.
These options did not appear in the firm’s Form 13F stock holdings report. So, when Nike disappeared from the March 2025 filing, it did not mean Pershing Square had fully left the investment. The firm later confirmed that it sold its remaining Nike options in November 2025.
Nike also does not appear in the Pershing Square holdings filings for the quarters ended March 31 and June 30, 2026. The known Nike investment was exited in 2025, though public filings cannot rule out every possible personal or indirect financial exposure.
Tiger Woods and Nike: A Partnership That Lasted More Than 27 Years
Tiger Woods joined Nike in 1996, at the start of his pro career. According to the PGA TOUR, the partnership covered apparel, Woods-branded clothing and, earlier on, golf equipment. It became one of the best-known pairings of an athlete and a brand in golf. For many fans, Nike was part of how they pictured Woods on the course.
On January 8, 2024, Woods announced that the partnership was over. It had lasted 27 years. His announcement did not mention Bill Ackman.
Woods’s Nike deal does not tie him to every investor who owns Nike stock. His sponsorship history and Ackman’s investment history are separate stories. They meet only at Nike.
Why Nike Matters to Both Men
Nike means something different to each man. For Ackman, Nike is a stock. Its price moves with sales, profit margins, customer demand, and competition. He and his team decide whether the shares look worth owning at a given price.
For Woods, Nike was a partner. His value to the brand came from his wins, his fame, and the attention he drew to its products. His role was that of an athlete and brand partner.
An athlete helps build a brand’s image. An investor judges whether the company is worth its share price. Both can exist around the same company at once, with no contact between the two people. That is why a headline that joins Ackman and Woods through Nike says less than it seems to.
What Happened to Tiger Woods After Nike?
Leaving Nike did not take Woods out of the golf apparel business. On February 12, 2024, TaylorMade and Woods announced Sun Day Red, a new brand for golf apparel and footwear. It came with an expanded partnership between Woods and TaylorMade. The first men’s apparel launch was set for May 1, 2024.
The name nods to the red Woods is known for wearing on Sundays. The brand shows how his business role changed. He moved from a long Nike deal to a brand built around his own golf identity, with TaylorMade as his partner.
No public record links Sun Day Red to Ackman or to his Nike shares. It belongs in this story only because it shows what came after Nike.
Did Bill Ackman Invest Directly in Tiger Woods?
No direct investment has been shown. No verified public evidence says that Bill Ackman invested directly in Tiger Woods. His reported investment was in Nike shares, which is a stake in a public company, not in an athlete.
The two are easy to mix up. Buying Nike stock is not the same as buying into an athlete’s business, signing an athlete, or funding a private venture. Woods has business interests of his own, including Sun Day Red. Any link between those and Ackman would need its own proof.
The fair answer is this: Nike is a documented overlap, and a direct investment between Ackman and Woods has not been established.
Bill Ackman’s Earlier Golf Investment: The Gotham Golf Story
Golf shows up in Ackman’s own history too, which is another reason the two names get paired. Gotham Partners, the firm Ackman helped run early in his career, held a golf-course investment called Gotham Golf Corp. It ran into financial trouble. In January 2003, TheStreet reported that Gotham Partners was closing two funds, and the troubled Gotham Golf investment was one of the factors.
There is no documented link between that story and Tiger Woods. Gotham Golf was about golf courses. Woods’s career is about playing golf and building businesses around it. A shared sport does not prove a shared venture.
What the Evidence Actually Shows
The connection between Bill Ackman and Tiger Woods is real, but it is narrow. Pershing Square reported Nike shares in 2017–2018 and again in 2024. Woods had a Nike partnership from 1996 until January 2024, and then launched Sun Day Red with TaylorMade.
Here is what is not established. There is no verified public evidence of a direct partnership between the two men. The same goes for a friendship, a shared venture, or any financial deal. Ackman’s Nike shares are not a stake in Woods, and Nike’s absence from two 2026 filings does not settle every question about his Nike exposure today.
So the Nike link is less dramatic than some headlines suggest. It still tells a useful story about a well-known investor, one of golf’s best-known athletes, and a sports brand that mattered to both careers. That is what the public record supports for Bill Ackman and Tiger Woods.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are Bill Ackman and Tiger Woods connected?
Only through Nike. Ackman’s firm has held Nike shares, and Woods was a Nike athlete for 27 years. No verified public evidence shows a direct partnership between the two men.
Did Bill Ackman invest in Tiger Woods?
No direct investment has been shown. Ackman’s firm reported Nike shares, which are a stake in the company, not in Woods.
Did Bill Ackman own Nike stock?
Yes. Pershing Square reported a Nike stake of about 0.71% around the end of 2017 and exited in 2018. It reported about 3 million shares in 2024. In early 2025, it converted its shares into call options, and it sold the remaining options in November 2025. Nike was not listed in its filings for March 31 and June 30, 2026.
When did Tiger Woods leave Nike?
Woods announced the end of his Nike partnership on January 8, 2024. The partnership began in 1996.
What is Tiger Woods’s Sun Day Red brand?
Sun Day Red is Woods’s golf apparel and footwear brand, launched with TaylorMade. It was announced on February 12, 2024. The first men’s apparel launch was set for May 1, 2024.
What was Bill Ackman’s Gotham Golf investment?
Gotham Golf Corp. was a troubled golf-course investment held by Gotham Partners. It was one factor when the firm closed two funds, as TheStreet reported in January 2003. It has no documented link to Woods.
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Hi, I’m Sophia Turner, a content writer who focuses on celebrity biographies, net worth information, and entertainment topics. I enjoy researching public figures and using reliable sources to make complex or unfamiliar information easy to understand.
My goal is to create clear and useful articles about celebrities, including their careers, achievements, backgrounds, and public work. I also follow entertainment news and trends to keep the content relevant and interesting for readers.