Ken Griffin pushes NYC business leaders to ‘battle’ – Business News
Ken Griffin is taking a contemporary shot at New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani — whereas voicing willingness to converse with the far-left chief down the street.
The Citadel founder on Thursday urged New York’s business leaders to “fight for their city” as he renewed his criticism of the democratic socialist mayor whose “tax the rich” marketing campaign turned Griffin into a political goal earlier this yr.
“They need to find their voice and fight for their city,” Griffin mentioned at an Upper East Side groundbreaking, in accordance to Bloomberg News.
Citadel founder Ken Griffin says New York business leaders ought to “fight for their city” as his feud with Mayor Zohran Mamdani enters a new part. AFP by way of Getty Images
“My advice is to speak up. What’s the worst that’s going to happen?”
The billionaire hedge fund supervisor, whose firm employs hundreds of employees in New York, mentioned his firm will outlast Mamdani’s administration.
“Everything should be viewed through the lens of, Citadel will be here far longer than he’ll be mayor,” he mentioned.
While Griffin has been ghosting Mamdani’s outreach, he mentioned Thursday they’ll converse — ultimately.
“I plan to talk to him at some point in the months ahead,” he mentioned.
“Let’s see where he is on the state of policy at that time. Actions speak louder than words.”
The feedback got here during a groundbreaking ceremony for the Kenneth C. Griffin Pavilion, a new 27-story inpatient facility being constructed by Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. Griffin and fellow billionaire David Geffen dedicated $400 million to the project.
Despite his more and more seen investments in Florida — not too long ago increasing plans for a sprawling Miami development — Griffin indicated Thursday that New York stays central to Citadel’s future.
Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s “tax the rich” agenda sparked a high-profile conflict with one of Wall Street’s strongest hedge fund managers. Erik Pendzich/Shutterstock
At the identical time, he warned that business leaders can’t afford to stay silent.
“It will be that New York empties of talent and that’s a catastrophe,” he mentioned, outlining a nightmare state of affairs for town beneath Mamdani.
“If the mayor wants to say a few words about you, your record speaks for itself: You create jobs, you create value and you pay taxes.”
Earlier this yr, Mamdani ignited the public feud by filming a viral Tax Day video outdoors Griffin’s $238 million penthouse at 220 Central Park South to promote a new pied-à-terre tax on rich house owners of second houses.
Griffin’s $238 million penthouse at 220 Central Park South grew to become ground zero within the battle over New York’s new pied-à-terre tax. Christopher Sadowski for NY Post
Mamdani turned Griffin into the face of his marketing campaign to tax rich house owners of luxurious second houses. Mayor Mamdani/X
Standing outdoors the residence on Billionaires’ Row, Mamdani referred to as out Griffin by title whereas touting his promise to “tax the rich” and celebrating the levy aimed toward luxurious properties owned by nonresidents.
The video drew howls from the business group and angered Griffin. He described the stunt as “creepy” and accused the mayor of turning a coverage disagreement into a personal assault.
Griffin is anticipated to owe an further $1.3 million to $1.4 million in taxes subsequent yr due to the pied-à-terre tax, in accordance to calculations by Business Insider.
His largesse seems to proceed unabated.
The Upper East Side most cancers heart joins a growing checklist of New York establishments which have acquired main donations from Griffin, together with the Hospital for Special Surgery and the American Museum of Natural History.
The Post has sought remark from Griffin and Mamdani.
