Billionaire Ken Griffin says Mamdani tax campaign video put him 'in harm’s way' in NYC

Billionaire Ken Griffin has criticised New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani over a video promoting a new tax policy, accusing him of putting him at risk by featuring his New York home.

The billionaire hedge fund executive said the video, which highlighted his penthouse as an example under a proposed tax on high-value second homes, was inappropriate.

“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 on CNBC.

The dispute follows Mamdani’s campaign for a “pied-à-terre” tax, which would “levy an annual surcharge on one to three family homes, condominiums and co-ops valued above $5 million when owners have a separate primary residence outside of New York City,” according to city details.

In the video, the mayor stood outside Griffin’s property at 220 Central Park South to illustrate who could be affected.

Griffin purchased the penthouse in 2019 for about $238 million, then a record for the most expensive home sale in the United States.

The clash has intensified tensions between business leaders and city officials, with reports suggesting concerns about future investment projects in New York City.