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Billionaire hedge fund manager Bill Ackman has become the latest target of internet humour after offering what he described as “two cents” on how young people should approach dating in the modern age. The Pershing Square Capital Management founder shared a nostalgic piece of advice he once used to strike up conversations, only for the internet to turn it into a full-fledged meme fest.

Ackman argued that meeting people organically has become increasingly difficult due to changing social habits and the dominance of online culture. Posting on X, he said he often hears from young men who struggle to meet women in public spaces. According to him, online interactions have replaced spontaneous, real-life conversations, something he believes needs to change.

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Ackman’s Old-School Dating Tip Goes Viral

To help, he offered a simple, old-fashioned line that he claimed worked for him decades ago: “May I meet you?”

Ackman wrote, “I hear from many young men that they find it difficult to meet young women in a public setting. In other words, the online culture has destroyed the ability to spontaneously meet strangers. As such, I thought I would share a few words that I used in my youth to meet someone that I found compelling.”

He elaborated that the polite request almost always got him a positive response. “I almost never got a No,” he said, adding that the phrase “inevitably enabled” the opportunity for further conversation. He credited its success to the combination of proper grammar and politeness, traits he believes remain effective even today, regardless of gender or sexual orientation. Ackman stressed that his advice came from “an older happily married guy concerned about our next generation’s happiness and population replacement rates.”

But while Ackman may have intended to offer sincere guidance, the internet had other plans. The phrase “May I meet you?” quickly went viral for its stiff, Victorian-era vibe, prompting jokes, memes and parodies across the platform. One user commented, “‘May I meet you?’ is hilarious. But Bill Ackman’s greater point, learn to politely introduce yourself, is good advice. Lose the lame pickup lines, my bros.”

Another joked, “Imagine sitting next to someone on a flight and asking if you can meet them,” while a third wrote, “General Ackman turning into a dating coach wasn’t on my bingo card.”

Others found the formality overwhelmingly funny. “‘May I meet you’ has me crying, this may be the most unconventional advice of all time,” one user said.

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