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Carl Icahn

The Most Feared Activist Investor on Wall Street

Value Investing
$24 Billion
American
Carl Icahn

Carl Icahn

Value Investing

Key Stats

Net Worth

$24 Billion

Origin

American

Lifespan

Born 1936 (90 years old)

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Biography

Carl Icahn is a legendary activist investor known for taking large stakes in companies and pushing for changes to unlock shareholder value. His aggressive tactics have earned him billions and made him one of the most feared names in corporate boardrooms.

Investment Style

Icahn typically:

  • Takes large positions in undervalued companies
  • Pushes for management changes or corporate restructuring
  • Advocates for spinoffs, buybacks, or asset sales
  • Sometimes launches proxy fights for board control

Major Campaigns

Some of his most notable activist investments include:

  • TWA (1985)
  • Texaco (1988)
  • Apple (2013-2016)
  • Netflix (2012)
  • eBay/PayPal (2014)

Trading Philosophy

"In life and business, there are two cardinal sins. The first is to act precipitously without thought and the second is to not act at all."

Famous Trades

2013-2016 LONG

Apple (AAPL)

Pushed for buybacks and dividends, making roughly $2 billion on Apple shares.

Major Win

+$2 Billion

Legendary Quotes

"In life and business, there are two cardinal sins. The first is to act precipitously without thought and the second is to not act at all."
— Interview
"I'm not the type of person that does well in a company structure, where I'm given an office and have to knock on the door of the guy with the bigger office."
— Biography

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