Hedge fund billionaire donates almost $100K, says Pershing Square will establish a hero fund for those who deserve rewards for bravery
by Angus Whitley
A bystander who rushed and disarmed one of the Bondi Beach attackers has won praise from leaders around the world, including US President Donald Trump and hedge fund billionaire Bill Ackman, who announced a reward program for community heroes.
Extraordinary footage of the civilian’s actions began circulating on social media on Sunday, shortly after two men, later identified as a father and son, started shooting into a crowd gathered to celebrate the first day of Hanukkah. The massacre has left at least 16 people dead in the worst terrorist attack in Australia’s history.
In the mobile-phone video, which has not been verified by Bloomberg News, one of the attackers is standing near a tree and firing. A few meters away, a crouched man emerges from behind a parked car. He grabs the shooter from behind and wrestles the weapon from his hands. Local media named the bystander as Ahmed el Ahmed, a 43-year-old father-of-two from south Sydney. He was shot twice and is being treated in the hospital, according to reports.
He was also soon lauded for his feat. Trump said at the White House that Ahmed had saved many lives and expressed “great respect” for him. In Sydney, New South Wales Premier Chris Minns went further, describing Ahmed’s wrestle with the shooter as “the most unbelievable scene I’ve ever seen.”
“That man is a genuine hero and I’ve got no doubt there are many, many people alive tonight as a result of his bravery,” Minns said at a press conference late Sunday.
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese also praised Ahmed, and other bystanders who helped treat victims in the immediate aftermath of the shooting.
“People rushing towards danger to show the best of the Australian character,” Albanese told reporters Monday. “That’s who we are, people who stand up for our values.”
Pershing Square Capital Management’s founder Ackman called Ahmed “a brave hero” and said his hedge fund firm would establish a reward program for people who had carried out similar acts.
We and the @PershingSqFdn are going to set up a reward system for heroes. As a society, we don’t do enough to take care of the heroes in our communities. We would like to address this failure and do so systematically.
I will report back once we are up and running. https://t.co/jMawGowGob
— Bill Ackman (@BillAckman) December 14, 2025
The top donor to a gofundme page set up for the “hero” who tackled the shooter is listed as William Ackman, who gave $99,999. More than $800,000 has been raised so far.
Salesforce Inc. Founder and Chief Executive Officer Marc Benioff also expressed his gratitude for Ahmed in a post on X.
I am heartbroken by the antisemitic terrorist attack on Jews celebrating Chanukah at Bondi Beach. My thoughts are with the victims, their families, and all of our Australian Ohana. Thank you to Ahmed al-Ahmed for his incredible bravery—turning tragedy into a powerful testament…
— Marc Benioff (@Benioff) December 14, 2025
(Updates amount raised on gofundme in second-last paragraph.)
Copyright Bloomberg News
