As the voting for the election of NYC mayor is about to start in a while, on Tuesday, November 4, 2025, after the much happening campaign ended last night.
The three main contenders for the top slot from New York City are Democratic nominee Zohran Mamdani, independent candidate Andrew Cuomo, and Republican Curtis Sliwa.
Much of the spotlight remains on Mamdani, who’s viewed as the strongest candidate for mayor of New York City.
As Forbes reports, several billionaires are spending a lot of money to ensure the Democratic candidate Mamdani does not win the race in any scenario.
In all the election buzz, voters are increasingly wondering: just how wealthy is Democratic candidate Zohran Mamdani, and where does his money come from?
Here’s a breakdown.
Mamdani is a democratic socialist and an outsider to the political elite, and his mother is a Harvard educated and an award-winning director.
Mamdani lives in a rented apartment and surprisingly does not own a car, as per his financial disclosures, owns only one major asset: that is, several acres of land in his native Uganda, acquired by him a decade ago.
Mamdani, after his graduation in 2014, worked on his mother’s sets, tried his luck at a rap music career, and took multiple jobs on several political campaigns, as reported by the New York Times.
He got U.S. citizenship in 2018; after that, he stabilized in his life and career: four years ago, in 2020, Mamdani fought a state assembly seat and clinched it by beating a five-term incumbent.
Today, he lives in a $2,250 per month rent-stabilized apartment (it’s referred to as one where the rent increases are managed by the government board, not just the landlord) in Astoria.
The net worth of Zohran Mamdani is estimated to be around $200,000, fifty times less than Cuomo, whose estimated wealth stands at $210 million, as reported by Forbes.
He stated that he acquired the land in 2016 and that it remains vacant and unimproved; however, whether he purchased it, was gifted it, or inherited it remains unclear.
If Mamdani succeeds in clinching the position at age 34, he would be the youngest mayor since Hugh John Grant, who took the oath at age 30 back in 1889.
And Mamdani would get a raise to $260,000 and could save money on rent by relocating into Gracie Mansion, the official residence of the New York City mayor on the Upper East Side.