VENTURE CAPITAL POST

Hedge fund mogul William Ackman, who has spent more than two years accusing Herbalife Ltd (HLF.N) of running a pyramid scheme, said on Monday that shutting down the company is "one of the most important things" he can do.

Herbalife Ltd (HLF.N) cut the pay of Chief Executive Michael Johnson 36 percent for 2014 after the nutrition and weight loss company failed to meet performance goals set for him and other top executives, according to a securities filing on Friday.

A top Herbalife salesman said that most people who sell the company's weight loss and nutrition products are doomed to fail, adding fresh grist to accusations by a hedge fund manager that the company is a fraud.

Pershing Square Holdings, a fund managed by activist investor Bill Ackman, raised $3.07 billion ahead of a stock market listing in Amsterdam, the company said on Wednesday.

Pershing Square Holdings, a fund managed by activist investor Bill Ackman, hopes to raise $2 billion from a listing on the Euronext Amsterdam stock exchange, the company said in a statement on Monday.

The US Federal Trade Commission has begun an inquiry into the operations of nutrition and weight loss firm Herbalife, an inquiry that has long been asked for by activist investor William Ackman, Reuters reported.

The single largest stock holding of Soros Fund Management in the fourth quarter is Israeli drugmaker Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd, Reuters reported citing a February 14 filing with the US Securities and Exchange Commission.

Bill Stiritz, the Chief Executive Officer of Post Holdings Inc, raised his Herbalife stake to 6.4% from 5.3% and said he intends to hold discussions with Herbalife about possible strategies for financing.

The world's largest retailer is likely to provide an update on its layaway program's results and on early indications of whether shoppers are taking to its first holiday specials. Wall Street is waiting to see whether Wal-Mart again cuts its fiscal year forecast.

Activist investor William Ackman told investors through a letter dated October 2 that he had reduced over 40% of his USD1 billion investment with nutritional supplements company Herbalife.