Billionaire Bill Ackman launched a new dating meme with his weekend story about going up to women to ask, “May I meet you?”
The X post by the hedge fund manager initially was mocked for promoting this strange and awkward phase, with some calling him out of touch due to his age and wealth.
But as the memes spread, some people began to report success with the phrase on dating apps.
Ackman, 59, posted the fateful tweet on Nov. 15 for the benefit of young men with no game.
“I hear from many young men that they find it difficult to meet young women in a public setting,” he wrote. “In other words, the online culture has destroyed the ability to spontaneously meet strangers. As such, I thought I would share a few words that I used in my youth to meet someone that I found compelling.”
“I would ask: ‘May I meet you?’ before engaging further in a conversation. I almost never got a No.” The billionaire credited “politeness” and “proper grammar” for the line’s success. After all, everyone knows all the ladies love a grammar nerd.
The straightforward approach can be effective, but the odd nature of the phrase made the post go viral, with over 35 million views so far.
Making it into a meme was as simple as pairing it with images that convey social awkwardness. All those photos of men talking to women who are clearly uninterested or uncomfortable? “MAY I MEET YOU?”
While many doubted the effectiveness of such a question in today’s dating world, some just had to try it out. In a quote tweet, X user @Derivatives_Ape told his “may I meet you” tale to the platform, and it didn’t turn out quite like Ackman’s experience.
“Last night I was at this bar and I saw a brunette near the dartboard,” he said. “She had on a denim jacket, and looked friendly enough. I thought, alright, this is my moment. I walked over, tried to look confident, and said: ‘May I meet you?'”
Maybe the guy still referencing NFTs didn’t have Ackman’s confidence, but he was basically laughed out of the general area of this woman and her friends.
“I will never listen to Bill Ackman again,” he concluded. “Never taking advice from a boomer again.. this [expletive] doesn’t work in 2025.”
Others reported similar failures, and one user posted a photo of a digital Tinder ad using the phrase as its entire point. As a competitor to in-person approaches to landing a date, this makes sense, though the photo itself may be a fake. If so, Tinder needs to get on it.
To be fair, at least one X user posted evidence of a date happening thanks to Bill Ackman.
The apes guy and others who struck out with “may I meet you” may have simply tried it too soon, however. As time went on, dating app users began to report on the “Bill Ackman Effect.” Because more and more people are now aware of the meme, the line is getting laughs — and dates.
The day after he posted his advice, Ackman reported that a college student got a date with the phrase. In a quote tweet, @lulumeservey suggested that this makes sense among the age group that loves memes the most.
“Unironically, ‘May I meet you? ‘ has just become a killer pickup line for this exact demographic,” she wrote, noting that an “inside joke creates shared connection.”
Others soon began to share screenshots from their dating app of choice showing message after message asking the question. Whether they’re sincerely trying it out or referencing the meme, it’s happening.
