Herbalife Ltd. (NYSE:HLF) stock was up slightly this afternoon as the verbal tussle continues between Bill Ackman and Carl Icahn.
Ackman is famously shorting Herbalife, a company he has publicly called a pyramid scheme. A heated, and rather playground, exchange between the two fund managers has broken out in recent days. NOTE: Ackman was just on CNBC, Carl Icahn called in to fight with Ackman live, we will have the full details up shortly.
Yesterday Bill Ackman said that some time ago Carl Icahn asked if he could be his friend. Ackman’s asserted response was that “I told him I had no interest in being his friend.”
Icahn, who you might imagine has better things to do, responded to that comment in a press release today.
The response, which is at times reminiscent of the film “Mean Girls,” states, “To get the record straight, I never asked Ackman to be my friend.”
On the contrary, according to Icahn, “Ackman has stated to me on more than one occasion that it’s a shame we are not friends.”
That’s not the only dig delivered by Icahn in the missive. “Bill Ackman has recently stated ‘Carl Icahn is a great investor.’ I thank him but unfortunately I cannot return the compliment,” the release stated. That slight is unlikely to go unnoticed by Ackman, who will appear on CNBC this afternoon.
Carl Icahn holds a long position in Herbalife Ltd. (NYSE:HLF) , but that position has not become large enough to require SEC disclosure. Herbalife Ltd. (NYSE:HLF) stock has regained most of the value it lost since Ackman initiated his short position. Stock in the company has gained almost 70% in the last month, and is down just 12% from 3 months ago.
