Chipotle has issued a statement on Bill Ackman following his $10,000 donation to an online fundraiser in support of the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent who fatally shot Renee Nicole Good in Minneapolis.

A short message posted to Threads, the Mexican restaurant chain said: "Bill Ackman is not affiliated with Chipotle."

The post, which can be seen here, has been liked more than 10,000 times since it was posted from the company’s official Threads page on Monday, January 12.

It was a reply to another Threads user, Ann.marshall. 1048, who wrote: "Don’t eat at Chipotle. The guy who owns it just gave $10000 to the man who killed Renee Good. Let’s boycott this restaurant."

At the time of writing that post has amassed more than 43,000 likes. Newsweek has reached out to Ann.marshall. 1048.

Why It Matters

There have been calls for a boycott of Chipotle after Ackman donated to a GoFundMe set up in support of Jonathan Ross, the ICE agent who fatally shot Good.

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Ackman's donation first came to light on Sunday, when a person identified as "William Ackman" pledged $10,000 to the fund set up by Clyde Emmons. Amid mounting speculation, Ackman, a billionaire hedge-fund manager who endorsed President Donald Trump during the 2024 elections, issued a statement via X confirming he had made the donation.

Ackman said the "whole situation is a tragedy," adding that the officer was "doing his best to do his job." He went on to refer to Good as a "protester who likely did not intend to kill the officer but whose actions in a split second led to her death."

The shooting of Good sparked unrest in Minneapolis and drew condemnation online. Ackman's donation has been perceived by many as an endorsement of Ross's response. Author and activist Shannon Watts was among those to condemn the donation branding it "reward money for shooting a mother of three in the face."

What To Know

Ackman purchased a 9.9 percent stake in Chipotle back in September 2016 at a cost of around $1 billion. This made his hedge fund, Pershing Square Capital Management, one of Chipotle’s largest shareholders at the time.

However, Ackman has gradually reduced his stake in the company over the years since. In November, a third-quarter earnings call to investors confirmed Pershing Square had sold its remaining shares in Chipotle.

Despite this, Chipotle felt it was necessary to reaffirm Ackman is no longer associated with the chain. This suggests the company took threats of a boycott seriously. A Chipotle spokesperson told Newsweek: "Bill Ackman is not affiliated with Chipotle and is no longer a shareholder of the Company."

What Happens Next

There is so far no suggestion of any boycott of any other brands associated with Ackman.

He also has a major stake in Restaurant Brands International (RBI), the parent company of Burger King, Tim Hortons, Popeyes, and Firehouse Subs. In 2024, Pershing Square increased its RBI position to 27.3 million shares, which represents 8.5 percent of the company.

Update, 1/13/26 12:16 p.m. ET: This article was updated with comment from a Chipotle spokesperson.

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