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New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani built his political agenda by taking aim at billionaires. Now he’s praising one for backing the police.
Last week, Mamdani publicly thanked Citadel billionaire Ken Griffin for supporting police funding, a moment that flew somewhat under the radar but offered a glimpse into a more complicated dynamic between the hedge fund king and the socialist mayor.
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“I want to thank everyone who is here with us in the Hall of Heroes today, with special thanks to Police Commissioner [Jessica] Tisch and NYPD leadership,” Mamdani said at One Police Plaza, speaking before department brass and families of slain officers.
“I also want to thank Ken Griffin for funding a memorial wall that will open later this year,” he added.
The acknowledgment came just days after a public spat between the two, sparked by Mamdani’s viral April 15 video promoting a proposed tax on second homes worth more than $5 million. Filmed outside Griffin’s 24,000-square-foot Central Park South penthouse—purchased for a record $238 million—the video singled out Griffin by name.
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“This is an annual fee on luxury properties worth more than $5 million, whose owners do not live full-time in the city. Like for this penthouse, which hedge fund CEO Ken Griffin bought for $238 million,” Mamdani said in the clip.
Griffin sharply criticized the move, calling it a “personal attack” and a “profound lack of judgment” during remarks at the Norges Bank Investment Management 2026 Investment Conference in Oslo, where he questioned what he described as the “demonizing” of business leaders.
The clash underscores a widening divide between progressive ambitions for the city and the financial sector that has long powered its economy.
Following the episode, Griffin, who primarily resides in Florida, signaled he could reconsider a major Midtown Manhattan development, raising the stakes of the clash.
For Griffin, the donation fits a broader pattern of backing law enforcement efforts in major cities; for Mamdani, the acknowledgment may signal a willingness to shore up funding for public safety.
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