Carl Icahn Buys 2.3 Mln Herbalife Shares

(RTTNews) - Billionaire investor Carl Icahn said he bought more shares in Herbalife Ltd. (HLF) on Friday, just days after he weighed selling his stake in the controversial nutritional-products maker.

Herbalife shares rose 4 percent in extended trading, after Icahn said late Friday that he had bought 2.3 million shares, bringing his stake to more than 19.3 million, or 20.8% of the company.

The Wall Street Journal reported Friday morning that Icahn recently discussed selling his 18 percent stake in Herbalife to a group including Ackman. Investment bank Jefferies Group LLC is said to have been seeking over the past month to find buyers for Icahn's stake, worth about $1 billion.

Ackman told CNBC, "If Carl sells, it can accelerate the demise of the company, With Carl exiting, I think the thing is over, and over quickly. The sooner he sells the better."

"Completely contrary to what Bill Ackman stated on television today, I have never given Jefferies an order to sell any of our Herbalife shares," Icahn said in a statement after market close.

Icahn added that Ackman had developed a very bad case of Herbalife obsession.

"It amazes me that a guy who hasn't any knowledge of my internal investment thinking believes he is in a position to go on television to tell the world what I AM thinking!" Mr. Icahn wrote.