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Citadel CEO Ken Griffin called New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s viral video—which singled out Griffin and his Manhattan penthouse while announcing a new tax—a “personal attack” and a “profound lack of judgment.”
On April 15, Mamdani posted a video spotlighting Griffin’s property to announce a new pied-à-terre tax. The move prompted the hedge fund CEO to threaten to pull a $6 billion development project from the city.
The video features Mamdani, who has promised to levy higher taxes on wealthy New Yorkers, standing on a street just outside Griffin’s 24,000-square-foot property. Griffin purchased the home in 2019 for $238 million, marking the most expensive home sale in U.S. history.
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“This is an annual fee on luxury properties worth more than $5 million, whose owners do not live full-time in the city. Like for this penthouse, which hedge fund CEO Ken Griffin bought for $238 million,” Mamdani said in the video.
Speaking at the Norges Bank Investment Management 2026 Investment Conference in Oslo, Griffin questioned the “demonizing” of business leaders.
“What upset me was the personal attack,” Griffin said. “Like, you were at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner on Saturday where they tried to assassinate the president. Not too far from where I live in New York is where they assassinated the CEO of UnitedHealthcare.”
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“So I think the willingness of the mayor of New York to make this policy debate a personal attack just demonstrated a profound lack of judgment,” he added. “I understand that New York has bills to pay.”
Following the video, Griffin—who primarily resides in Florida—signaled that he might cancel his latest project in Midtown Manhattan. He is currently slated to meet with New York Gov. Kathy Hochul to discuss the “future direction of New York.”
“Here’s the real question: is New York going to put their fiscal house in order and run itself from a position of a strong government that is pro-business, or are they looking to play … why do the Americans think we can do socialism?” he asked. “We have none of that in our DNA and we are just going to screw it up.”
FOX Business has reached out to Mamdani’s office for comment.
Earlier this year, Hochul attempted to tax wealthy New Yorkers leaving the state.
She has since pleaded with them to return amid concerns over the state’s shrinking tax base. Recently, she introduced a tax proposal specifically targeting high-priced second homes in New York City.
