Billionaire Ken Griffin says NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani "put me in harm's way"
Billionaire Ken Griffin says being New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani's poster boy for a tax-the-rich campaign put his life in danger.
Mamdani began taking on Griffin during his campaign for mayor, but to Griffin, it became personal when Mamdani posted a video that not only attacked him, but included where he lived.
"He put me in harm's way"
"What really upset me about the video was the fact that he put me in harm's way," Griffin said in an interview on CNBC.
Griffin brought up the murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson.
"You know, he seems to have forgotten that the CEO of another American company was assassinated just blocks from where I live in New York. And to put any citizen in harm's way is just inappropriate for one of our political leaders," Griffin said.
Griffin has made no secret of his unhappiness with Mamdani and his efforts to make him the poster boy for the need to tax the rich and the second homes of people who don't live in the city fulltime.
"Really poor taste"
"To turn me into a political puppet is just in poor taste, really poor taste. The tax itself is a tax that discriminates against a narrow group of people is also disconcerting. You know, our company's thinking about making a $6 billion investment in New York City ... are they going to now have a special tax rate for those that own office buildings who live out of state? Like, where's this stop in New York?" Griffin said.
Mamdani did not address Griffin's concerns about his safety. A spokesperson for the mayor responded to Griffin's remarks.
"Mayor Mamdani wants all New Yorkers to succeed. That includes business owners and entrepreneurs who create good-paying jobs and make this city the economic engine of America. It also includes Ken Griffin, who is a major employer in our City and a powerful figure in our economy," the spokesperson said. "If we want this city to become a place that working people can afford, we need meaningful tax reform that includes the wealthiest New Yorkers contributing their fair share."
What's left to be seen is whether the $6 billion project Griffin mentioned will go forward or not.
