Alan Kestenbaum

Chief Executive Officer & Director, United States Steel

Search every verified Alan Kestenbaum interview, podcast appearance, and on-the-record quote — each transcript cross-checked by AI and human review to confirm speaker identity. Alan Kestenbaum, the Ancora-backed nominee for CEO of United States Steel, stated in a February 2025 interview that the proposed acquisition of U.S. Steel by Nippon Steel is "dead," citing President Biden's decision to block it and opposition from the Trump administration. He argued that a lawsuit challenging the president's authority lacks precedent and predicted the company would lose the case. Kestenbaum also criticized U.S. Steel CEO Dave Burd's suggestion that certain plants would be shut down, calling it an "irresponsible statement" and asserting that the mines associated with those plants are among the company's most valuable assets. Kestenbaum outlined a plan to turn U.S. Steel around as a standalone public company, drawing on his experience as former CEO of Stelco. He said he bought Stelco from U.S. Steel for $53 million, took it public four months later at a $1.7 billion valuation, returned $2 billion to shareholders, invested $1 billion in capital expenditures, and made it the lowest-cost steel producer in North America. He expressed confidence that similar techniques could make U.S. Steel's Mon Valley and Gary plants even more profitable. Kestenbaum stated he has no connection to Cleveland-Cliffs, describing himself as an independent businessman who recently sold his business to the company.