Threads Post Linking Bill Ackman to Chipotle Sparks Firestorm: Did Chipotle Donate to ICE?
Chipotle channeled Mean Girls energy with its response to the backlash: 'She doesn't even go here!'
Published Jan. 14 2026, 1:12 p.m. ET
If you spend any time on Threads, you might’ve seen a viral post asking a simple question: Did Chipotle donate to ICE? It started with a one-sentence claim from a Threads profile that is now private. The claim spread fast, gained traction, and set off a wave of online backlash. If you're trying to figure out what actually happened and why Chipotle felt the need to respond, you’re not the only one.
The post that sparked everything came from a user who wrote, “Don’t eat at Chipotle. The guy who owns it just gave $10,000 to the man who killed Renee Good.” Thousands of people quickly ran with it. Here’s the thing: That “guy” is Bill Ackman, and Chipotle was quick to clarify that he was NOT affiliated with the company.
Did Chipotle donate to Ice? The company responded to the claim with a swift and firm denial.
According to Newsweek, Bill Ackman is a billionaire hedge fund manager who made a major investment in Chipotle. In 2016, his firm, Pershing Square Capital Management, picked up a 9.9 percent stake — worth around $1 billion at the time. For a while, that made him one of Chipotle’s biggest shareholders.
That chapter, however, has closed. According to Chipotle, Pershing Square sold off its final shares. As of 2026, Bill Ackman has no financial ties to the brand. So, when people online started saying that “the owner of Chipotle” had donated to an ICE agent, the company stepped in — fast.
A post from Chipotle’s official Threads account made things clear: “Bill Ackman is not affiliated with Chipotle.” A spokesperson later confirmed that in a statement to Newsweek, adding that he’s also no longer a shareholder.
Naturally, the internet had jokes about the company’s response to the Bill Ackman connection. And they did not disappoint.
One user responded with a meme of the iconic Mean Girls quote “She doesn’t even go here,” captioning it: “Chipotle seriously rolled up with the — ” before dropping the meme. Someone else said, “Chipotle said, ‘We do not know that man.’”
Another chimed jokingly accusing Taco Bell of starting this social media firestorm, “Chipotle could kill my parents and I’d still eat there. Nice try Ann.Marshall.1048 — IF that’s even your real name (Taco Bell).” Others kept the mood going: “Not Chipotle having to fact check people on Threads,” and “Chipotle said ‘Not today, Satan.’”
These kinds of responses show how humor can diffuse a viral moment, or at least give people something to laugh about while trying to sort fact from fiction.
Bill Ackman also addressed and defended his donation to ICE.
In early January, according to Newsweek, Bill Ackman gave $10,000 to an online fundraiser supporting an ICE officer involved in the fatal shooting of Renee Nicole Good in Minneapolis. That donation was listed under the name “William Ackman” and caught public attention almost immediately.
Once speculation started, Bill Ackman addressed it directly on X (formerly Twitter). He said the situation was “a tragedy” and described the officer as someone who was “doing his best to do his job.” He also referred to Renee Good as “a protester who likely did not intend to kill the officer but whose actions in a split second led to her death.”
That statement struck a nerve. Activist Shannon Watts also took to X to call the donation “reward money for shooting a mother of three in the face.” Others echoed that sentiment, saying the donation felt like an endorsement of the shooting — even if Bill Ackman framed it differently.
So, did Chipotle donate to ICE? No. But that didn’t stop people from believing it did, even if just for a moment. Unfortunately, that’s the power of a well-timed viral social media post.
What stands out most here isn’t just the speed of the backlash; it’s how easy it is for the internet to connect dots that don’t necessarily go together. At the end of the day, the situation is very much a lesson in not believing everything you read on the internet.