Key Takeaways
- • New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani has not received a response from Citadel CEO Ken Griffin following a viral April video in which Mamdani promoted a second-home tax targeting wealthy residents, including Griffin's Manhattan penthouse.
- • Mamdani's office has initiated outreach to Griffin to repair the relationship, with the mayor stating he is "willing to meet with each and every business leader in the city," but Griffin has not reciprocated contact as of late May 2026.
- • Griffin publicly characterized Mamdani's video campaign as "creepy and weird," and sources suggest the billionaire hedge fund executive may be awaiting a public apology before engaging in dialogue.
- • The dispute underscores escalating tensions between New York City's progressive leadership and wealthy finance executives over taxation policy and municipal governance, with potential implications for major business investment and relocation decisions.
Summary
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani acknowledged on Tuesday that he has not heard from Ken Griffin, CEO of the multinational hedge fund Citadel, despite attempts by the mayor's office to establish contact and mend their fractured relationship. The tension stems from a viral video Mamdani released in mid-April at the entrance of Griffin's Manhattan penthouse, in which the Democratic mayor promoted a proposed second-home tax targeting wealthy individuals who maintain properties in New York but reside there only part-time.
Griffin responded sharply to the video, describing it as "creepy and weird," a characterization that prompted widespread criticism of Mamdani's confrontational approach. Rather than continuing the public dispute, Mamdani's team subsequently initiated outreach efforts, with the mayor telling CNN that his office had "reached out to them to make clear that I am willing to meet with each and every business leader in the city."
When pressed by interviewer Kaitlan Collins on whether he had received a response from Griffin, Mamdani initially attempted to dodge the question before ultimately admitting that Griffin has not replied. Sources close to the situation indicate that Griffin may be waiting for a public apology from Mamdani before considering any engagement, though the billionaire CEO has not publicly stated such a condition.
The episode reflects broader tensions between progressive municipal leadership in New York and the financial sector over taxation and regulatory policy. Griffin's willingness to threaten or execute relocation of business operations—he has previously indicated openness to moving Citadel operations outside New York—suggests that executive dissatisfaction with municipal governance carries material weight in corporate decision-making processes affecting the city's financial services ecosystem.
Griffin responded sharply to the video, describing it as "creepy and weird," a characterization that prompted widespread criticism of Mamdani's confrontational approach. Rather than continuing the public dispute, Mamdani's team subsequently initiated outreach efforts, with the mayor telling CNN that his office had "reached out to them to make clear that I am willing to meet with each and every business leader in the city."
When pressed by interviewer Kaitlan Collins on whether he had received a response from Griffin, Mamdani initially attempted to dodge the question before ultimately admitting that Griffin has not replied. Sources close to the situation indicate that Griffin may be waiting for a public apology from Mamdani before considering any engagement, though the billionaire CEO has not publicly stated such a condition.
The episode reflects broader tensions between progressive municipal leadership in New York and the financial sector over taxation and regulatory policy. Griffin's willingness to threaten or execute relocation of business operations—he has previously indicated openness to moving Citadel operations outside New York—suggests that executive dissatisfaction with municipal governance carries material weight in corporate decision-making processes affecting the city's financial services ecosystem.
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