Billionaire investor William Ackman publicly declared support and financial backing for former Harvard Business School professor Francesca Gino as she challenges Harvard’s decision to strip her of tenure. Ackman framed the case as a larger fight over institutional reputation management and academic fairness, and he says he’s funding her litigation. Harvard’s unprecedented removal of tenure followed allegations of research misconduct; prominent legal scholars including Lawrence Lessig have also voiced skepticism about the university’s actions. The public involvement of major donors and influential alumni escalates scrutiny of how elite institutions conduct misconduct reviews and balance reputational risk with due process. The dispute raises governance questions for faculties and boards about transparency, investigatory standards, and the role of external financial support in litigation tied to academic personnel decisions.