It has been nine days since the TikTok, Instagram, but not-ready-for-prime-time social media personality known as Zohran Mamdani, aka Mayor of New York City, released what could be politely called a kind of menacing, creepy AF Tax Day Tax the Rich video. It was filmed while standing across the street from the part-time residence of one of the city's billionaire inhabitants.
The mayor called the owner - Citadel CEO Ken Griffin - out by name.
Happy Tax Day, New York. We’re taxing the rich. pic.twitter.com/Wky2LFXC9W
— Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani (@NYCMayor) April 15, 2026
At no time during his perky little rant did the mayor say that Griffin did not pay or had not paid all the taxes due for his obviously opulent and privileged lifestyle.
What the mayor clearly did say is that Griffen, by virtue of his position, was not paying enough and that the mayor was coming after him and his kind.
For normal, rational, non-communist types, this approach struck us as unnecessarily confrontational and downright dangerous.
First off, what the hell had Mr. Griffen ever done to Mamdani? In this day of unhinged Luigi Mangione clones executing anyone for perceived injuries and insults because of class differences, why on earth would the mayor of NYC put a target on an innocent man's back and point to exactly where he lived while excoriating him as some sort of monster for simply having money, which offends the nepo bay mayor's socialist sensibilities, but is not a crime or even a moral failing?
How irresponsible...it blows the mind, even for Mamdani's average denseness, to do something so baldly targeted.
God help the little puke if one hair on Griffen's head is ever ruffled.
In the second place, where does the mayor get off publicly upbraiding a taxpayer in good standing as if he should be a social pariah for sins uncommitted?
This is so darkly dystopian, playing the shame card where none is warranted.
Besides people like me who never have to be worried about being shamed for having too much of anything but a big mouth, folks in Mr Griffen's tax brackets, perhaps might even be his neighbors, looked askance at the mayor's chirpy little video and felt compelled to comment.
The next day, Bill Ackman let fly at the pretentious, preening little windbag.
Non-residents who spend millions of dollars on NYC apartments help drive NYC’s economy. Most of the profit in condominium development is in the penthouses. The Ken Griffins of the world make NYC high end development viable, driving high-paying construction, brokerage, legal,… https://t.co/7Iv6UhGzdf
— Bill Ackman (@BillAckman) April 16, 2026
...brokerage, legal, marketing, and other jobs in NYC. We should be applauding Ken for spending $238 million in NYC, not attacking him for doing so.
Importantly, non-resident owners of NYC apartments who leave their apartments vacant for much of the year are not a burden to NYC schools, services, or other resources while they drive growth in retail sales, restaurants, theater, and other important drivers of our economy. They also often support NYC non-profits with donations.
Ken’s company is a major employer in NYC of very high paying jobs which drive a considerable amount of our tax base. We wouldn’t want him to move even more employees to Miami.
These non-resident owners also already pay a lot of taxes including mansion taxes, real estate taxes, sales taxes and more.
While @NYCMayor Mamdani likes the tag line ‘Tax the rich.’ Unfortunately, his policies will harm the constituencies he is supposedly trying to help.
I can’t imagine the NYC construction unions are excited about his plan.
Such a creepster move in this age of wandering, lethal lunatics. And so, so stupid from a business standpoint.
Kevin O’Leary calls out New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani for doxing Ken Griffin’s address in his “Tax the Rich” video stunt.
— Overton (@overton_news) April 24, 2026
Mr. Wonderful ripped the mayor apart for putting someone’s safety at risk for a political stunt.
O’LEARY: “How would he like it Ken took a video crew… pic.twitter.com/V71jog6AiI
O’LEARY: “How would he like it Ken took a video crew outside his house and say; ‘Mamdani lives here. This is where he lives.’”
“Think about what that means for personal safety.”
“Just in New York City to point out where someone lives, vandalism or are much worse.”
“I thought that was that was...that was pretty bad.”
“That’s not a good look for him.”
“And I would think he’d want to do a little soul searching on that one.”
A few days later, even more clear-eyed appraisals of exactly what billionaires like Griffen bring to the city were popping up, and they were sobering, just in case Mamdani hadn't thought it through before he mugged for the camera.
What am I saying - he obviously hadn't.
Mamdani declaring war on Ken Griffin proves how obtuse, fanatical, or simply dumb he is.
— John LeFevre (@JohnLeFevre) April 19, 2026
Citadel employs ~5,000 people in NYC.
Mean compensation: ~$2M per
Median: ~400K per
If Griffin takes them to Miami, it would be catastrophic for the New Yorkers Mamdani claims to champion -…
...If Griffin takes them to Miami, it would be catastrophic for the New Yorkers Mamdani claims to champion - bars, restaurants, small businesses, support jobs, etc...
not to mention philanthropy, secondary/spillover spending, and the obvious tax revenue hit...
Suspense was building, though, because no one had heard from the man himself yet. And surely, surely, Citadel CEO Ken Griffen had seen the video.
Yeah.
Turns out he had.
'Appalled' is the word Bloomberg uses.
I'm sure there's a word for what Mamdani said when he heard what else Mr Griffen had to say about his cute little video, because Griffen didn't actually say it. He let his corporation do the talking - a six BILLION dollar lesson in FAFO is now on the line, thanks to the Tax Day targeting video.
Citadel Sends Warning Shot to NYC After Mamdani Blasts Billionaire Griffin
Just two months ago, Vornado Realty Trust was boasting about financial behemoth Citadel’s appetite for New York real estate, vowing to create a new icon for the Manhattan skyline.
“There will be nothing like this available in New York,” Glen Weiss, Vornado’s executive vice president, said in a February earnings call, referencing a 62-story development on Park Avenue for Ken Griffin’s empire. “This will be the best building built in the city by far.”
That project – estimated to cost $6 billion — is now at risk following New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s attack on Griffin’s purchase of a $238 million apartment on Central Park. In a now viral social media post discussing a new tax proposal on pieds-à-terre, Mamdani accused second-home buyers of storing their wealth in the city while not contributing enough to its finances.
Oooh, the company is hot, and it blistered the mayor.
...Citadel responded in a message to employees, pushing back on the mayor’s comments.
“It is shameful that he used Ken’s name as the example of those who supposedly aren’t carrying their fair share of the burdens associated with New York City’s often costly and wasteful spending,” Chief Operating Officer Gerald Beeson wrote in the email. “The Mayor has once again manifested the ignorance and disdain of the elite political class towards those who have been consistently committed to building one of the greatest cities in the world.”
Included in the correspondence was a list of contributions both Citadel and Griffin have made to New York, including a veiled threat that the financial-services firm is considering pulling out of its new office development.
Even people who would normally be the mayor's allies were, like, 'Dude! WTF you thinkin'? You CRAZY?'
...“This is an unforced error by the mayor; in other words, it might make for a good headline but in this case, it also poisons the relationship with people who are wealthy and own luxury apartments here,” said Mitchell Moss, a professor of urban policy and planning at New York University, adding that commercial buildings provide a major source of the city’s property-tax revenue, which funds schools, social services and health care.
“It’s OK for the mayor to attack other politicians but you have to be very careful when you’re attacking the people whose money you depend on to pay for your services,” Moss said.
Hedge fund manager Dan Loeb, who last year declared New York was heading for a “hot commie summer,” described Mamdani’s video promoting the proposed tax as “childish.”
“Singling out a great job creator/philanthropist could go down as the single greatest destruction of value, jobs and tax revenues in New York’s history,” he posted on X.
And perhaps someone pointed out the FO math to Hizzoner...
...Should Citadel pull out of the project, it would have ripple effects for the city. The development is expected to contribute $4.5 billion into the local economy and generate 6,200 construction jobs and 15,200 permanent positions, according to city filings from last year.
...The 350 Park project has been years in the making and was expected to start construction in the second quarter. The goal is to demolish three buildings near the avenue to make room for a new, nearly 1.9 million square foot skyscraper that would be anchored by Citadel and Citadel Securities — bringing the firms’ growing New York headcounts under one roof. The city is one of the biggest locations for Griffin’s companies.
To build the tower, the development partners have committed to purchase air rights from nearby St. Bartholomew’s Church and St. Patrick’s Cathedral, putting in a combined $150 million toward upkeep of the churches.
...which could be why the smary little communist was looking so green around the gills at a press conference today when he was asked about the situation. But danged if he still wasn't determined to tapdance his way out of it.
DO YOU REGRET DOING THAT VIDEO?
That HOME WHEN IT WAS PURCHASED WAS THE MOST EXPENSIVE HOME IN THE UNITED STATES!
🚨@NYCMayor on wealth tax plan: “I don’t say these things not because I do not want these individuals to be here in New York City, but rather to outline that we are talking about a proposal that will have a very narrow impact and one that is being driven by intention to ensure… pic.twitter.com/nmnCGEebgd
— Off The Press (@OffThePress1) April 24, 2026
...have a very narrow impact and one that is being driven by intention to ensure that everyone can remain in the city.”
He says he spoke the very next day about a 'Saudi prince' and a 'Russian auto dealer' who all bought very expensive apartments, but did he use their names as he pointed to their apartments?
Griffen isn't afraid to up and move out of a 'failed city-state' as he called it.
...In 2022, Griffin announced he was moving Citadel headquarters from Chicago to Miami, Fla. – near his primary residence – after years of complaining about high taxes and rampant crime.
“I’ve lived in a failed city-state. I lived in Chicago for 30-some years. I had two colleagues who had bullets fly through their cars,” Griffin told Fox News’ Bret Baier in November 2025.
“I had 25 bullet holes in the front of my building where I lived. You can’t live in a city awash [with] violent crime,” he said.
Were Mamdani as clever as he thinks he is, he would have checked up on the man who owned the 'most expensive home in the United States' before he started pointing at him with his mouth running.
Their egos always trip them up when they start a socialist game of FA.
It would be absolutely hilarious if Citadel showed them just how bad a good, solid case of FO can hurt.
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