Zohran Mamdani Faces NYC Elites After Stirring ‘Tax the Rich’ Video Sparks Controversy

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani recently sat down with some of the city’s wealthiest business leaders following their criticism of his “Tax the Rich” movement.

The mayor, known for his progressive stance, engaged in discussions with JPMorgan CEO Jamie Dimon at the bank’s headquarters on Monday. Later that same day, he also met with Goldman Sachs CEO David Solomon at the historic Gracie Mansion, according to his office.

These meetings come amid ongoing tensions between Mamdani and the city’s billionaire elite.

Mamdani campaigned on a platform focused on affordability, vowing to raise taxes on New York City’s wealthiest citizens.

His approach has sparked debate, with some lauding his connection to the working class, while others warn of a potential “mass exodus” among the affluent residents.

On Tax Day, Mamdani posted a video that quickly went viral in front of hedge fund manager Ken Griffin’s Manhattan penthouse. 

‘When I ran for mayor, I said I was going to tax the rich,’ Mamdani said, before tapping the camera lens, and declaring, ‘Well, today, we’re taxing the rich.’ 

The video created a firestorm from New York’s business elite, with Griffin himself condemning it as ‘frightening,’ claiming it left him in fear for his life. 

Mayor Zohran Mamdani, pictured above at an event earlier this month for International Workers Day, has met with multiple business leaders in recent weeks  

Mamdani met with JPMorgan CEO Jamie Dimon, pictured above, on Monday. The CEO previously called the mayor’s policies ‘the same ideological mush that means nothing in the real world’ 

Mamdani also met with Goldman Sachs CEO David Solomon, pictured above. They discussed affordable housing, small businesses and investing in family-supporting policies 

Dimon and Solomon have also levied their fair share of criticisms against Mamdani. Dimon called Mamdani’s campaign platform ‘the same ideological mush that means nothing in the real world.’

He also called Mamdani, who is a Democratic Socialist, a ‘Marxist’ and accused Democrats of ‘falling over themselves’ for the mayor. 

However, after Mamdani was elected, Dimon called him to congratulate him and said he was willing to have productive conversations. 

During an interview on CNN, the finance honcho said that he believed Mamdani’s promises to address affordability were not a product of Democratic Socialism. 

He added that he was ‘all in’ with those who wanted to address income inequality, including Mamdani. 

A spokesperson for the mayor’s office called the recent meeting between Mamdani and Dimon ‘genial.’ 

The two discussed the importance of rooting out waste in government, cutting red tape, and collaboration between the public and private sectors. 

Mamdani had also expressed appreciation for the bank’s presence in the city, and the unlikely partners reflected on their love for Queens, including Dimon’s upbringing in Jackson Heights. 

Mamdani previously came under fire for filming a video in front of hedge fund manager Ken Griffin’s Manhattan penthouse, pictured above 

At the end of the meeting, Dimon gifted Mamdani a copy of Our Towns by James and Deborah Fallows, a nonfiction book about rural American areas. 

‘They had a constructive meeting where they discussed the importance of companies and government working together to help the communities around us and make the city more competitive,’ a spokesperson for JPMorgan said in a statement to the Daily Mail. 

Later in the day, Mamdani met with Solomon at Gracie Mansion. City Hall said the two discussed affordable housing, small businesses and investing in family-supporting policies. 

Mamdani’s office said the conversation ‘ended on a warm note’ and Solomon invited him to visit Goldman Sachs’ office soon. 

The mayor has met with multiple other top business leaders, seemingly in an effort to smooth tensions. 

Mamdani campaigned on affordability and taxing wealthy New Yorkers, a policy that has come under fire for pushing away billonaires. He’s pictured above speaking in front of a ‘No Billionaires’ sign 

He met with Blackstone president Jonathan Gray last week and Bank of America chief executive Brian Moynihan at the end of April. 

Dora Pekec, a spokesperson for City Hall, told the New York Times in a statement: ‘The mayor has had a number of productive meetings with business leaders over the past few months, and he looks forward to continuing to engage with the business community because he recognizes the critical role that the business leaders play in our economy and in our city.’

A source familiar with Mamdani’s meetings told the Wall Street Journal that he was discussing a real estate development in Queens with several CEOs, which Donald Trump has expressed interest in. 

The Daily Mail has reached out to JPMorgan and Mamdani’s office for additional comment.