THE BIG THREAT

‘Big Short’ Investor Demands UPenn Take His Name Off Scholarship Over Israel Fallout

Steve Eisman said he would only have a change of heart if the university president and chairman were fired over their failure to combat antisemitism.

One of the investors from the movie The Big Short who predicted the 2007-2008 U.S. financial crisis has told the University of Pennsylvania to take his name off a scholarship he sponsored due to controversy surrounding the school’s pro-Palestinian protests and Palestine Writes Literature Festival, which was accused of featuring speakers known for making antisemitic remarks. Steve Eisman, a senior portfolio manager at Neuberger Berman, told CNBC on Thursday that he would only have a change of heart if the university president and chairman were fired for their failure to respond to antisemitism on campus. Several big-name donors have vowed to abandon the school over the controversy. A press representative for the university didn’t respond to CNBC’s request for comment but President Liz Magill outlined a new effort on Wednesday to combat antisemitism at the Ivy League school.