Bill Ackman pledges to bankroll any NYC mayoral candidate capable of defeating Zohran Mamdani
Bill Ackman pledges to bankroll any NYC mayoral candidate capable of defeating Zohran Mamdani
Ackman and his wealthy associates are ready to pour 'hundreds of millions of dollars' into the campaign of an aspiring politician looking to position themselves on the national stage.
Hedge-fund billionaire Bill Ackman plans to bankroll a New York City mayoral campaign, arguing that his affluent associates are poised to flood the election with money in an effort to defeat Democratic Socialist frontrunner Zohran Mamdani.
Ackman said he was “gravely concerned” because he believed the left-wing candidate’s policies would be disastrous, triggering an exodus of the wealthy that would endanger New York’s public services by hollowing out its tax base.
Arguing that his own support of President Trump would automatically disqualify anyone Ackman might put forward, the activist investor said he was making a public appeal: Anyone capable of taking down Mamdani in the Nov. 4 election should step forward and volunteer.
“Importantly, there are hundreds of millions of dollars of capital available to back a competitor to Mamdani that can be put together overnight (believe me, I am in the text strings and the WhatsApp groups) so that a great alternative candidate won’t spend any time,” he wrote.
“So if the right candidate would raise his or her hand tomorrow, the funds will pour in.”
It’s unclear whether New Yorkers would honor such a candidate. The recent intervention by Elon Musk in Wisconsin’s state supreme court election indicated the voting public does not always respond well to billionaires using their money to sway races.
New York mayoral races are notoriously unpredictable due to the city’s chronically low turnout. In 2017, for example, Bill de Blasio won reelection with only 14% of registered voters coming out to support him.
A large influx of New Yorkers heading to the voting booth because they are as concerned as Ackman could easily affect the outcome. If Cuomo can hold on to enough fundraisers, political pundits also point out, it’s possible he could run as an independent like Adams, splitting the left vote and spoiling the race.
Ackman, however, argued all these factors would support the emergence of a centrist candidate looking to position themself on the national stage. It could even be another businessman like Bloomberg, he suggested, although Ackman in an earlier post appeared to indicate he would not seek to run himself.
“For the aspiring politician there is no better way to get name recognition, build relationships with long-term donors, and to showcase oneself,” the hedge fund manager wrote, pitching the campaign like a business deal. “The risk/reward of running for mayor over the next 132 days is extremely compelling as the cost in time and energy is small and the upside is enormous.”
“For the aspiring politician there is no better way to get name recognition, build relationships with long-term donors, and to showcase oneself,” the hedge fund manager wrote, pitching the campaign like a business deal. “The risk/reward of running for mayor over the next 132 days is extremely compelling as the cost in time and energy is small and the upside is enormous.”
Who wants to suck our dicks? Get to the dick sucking now! The chance never has been greater. We need our dicks sucked and will pay handsomely! If we like it, we'll pass you around to suck even more dicks!
Wow, I wonder if that's the same billionaire Bill Ackerman who's hedge fund owns forty percent of the New York property firm Seaport Entertainment Group?
https://finance.yahoo.com/news/bill-ackmans-strategic-acquisition-seaport-230404410.html
How many millions do you think a rent freeze would cost him personally?
These are the ultra privileged who always get their candidates without any debate whatsoever.
This is the extremely rare exception where they show their faces.
I'll do it! Pay me, Billiam!
Lots of articles say that Ackman is a real bloodthirty piece of crap, a famously petty crybully, and a supremecist. So I can see why he'd be against Zohran Mamdani.
https://www.thenation.com/article/society/crybullyism-bill-ackman-ruling-class/ https://nymag.com/intelligencer/article/bill-ackman-war-harvard-mit-dei-claudine-gay.html https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FzkY3NA_ZkQ
Whenever I see anything like this I remember my days working for large American companies and how difficult it was, even as a senior engineer, to get spending approval for anything. Like, even a $20 replacement headset I had to keep resubmitting applications for for three weeks because the managers had a policy of rejecting every first request on the theory that if it was important enough to spend company money on, it was important enough to fill in the form twice.
The point being, these sorts of people do not hand out a single penny without running the numbers and realising that the cost of rigging an election multiplied by the probability of success, is still lower than what they'll financially gain from it going a certain way.
I can beat him, money pleaseeeeeee
Always follow the money. Why are GOP and billionaires afraid and against this man who pledges to help the poor and struggling working class? Because they obviously have an interest in keeping the poor and struggling in the status quo conditions in which they live.
If helping the poor didn't hurt their bottom line, they wouldn't pay to keep it from happening.
So the TV pundits are calling this "class warfare", right?
Ackman is also a part owner of X, and that platform will also definitely be a big part of an effort to defeat Mamdani.
Edit: a family member just asked me what I think of Mamdani wanting to put a tax on all hiring, saying he proposed a 35% tax on the salary of all new hires. I googled this, and the only results are on X. The fix is in.
the left-wing candidate’s policies would be disastrous, triggering an exodus of the wealthy
Is that a promise? Look dude I'm already sold on him, you don't need to keep selling him
What a crook.
Literally buying elected officials.
A true enemy of the people
Honestly, I'm really liking how this race is shaping up. Adams is refusing to drop out because, well, he can't; the second he loses power he stops being useful to the Trump administration, and then he's vulnerable to prosecution. Cuomo is also staying in because he's a narcissist, and Ackman is willing to throw money at anyone else who wants to run.
So that means the centrist shit-libs and conservative ghouls are splitting their vote between at least two, probably three candidates, while the progressive vote will go entirely to Mamdani. I'm still wary of DNC fuckery, but so far, so good.
Remember when Bloomberg tried running for president for like 2 weeks?
Somehow I expect similar effect, burning cash without budging almost anyone.
Bill Ackman is evil and actively harming the NY and US economy. He wants people to become poorer year after year, until they can't spend on consumption anymore, and that will cripple the economy.
Anyone who the billionaire hedge fund manager is planning to bankroll is the guy you probably should be voting against.
So kind of this guy to give Mamdani an incredible basis for an ad campaign.
Like, for real, does this rich fuck not understanding that the vast majority of the American populace wants to see more blue shells? Honestly, how could it be more clear? All Zohran has to do is something like:
There’s an old proverb that says you should judge a person by the enemies they’ve made. Well, I’ve made an enemy of the billionaire Bill Ackman, and he’s pledged a blank check to whoever runs against me. But, there’s good news: votes decide elections, not money. I’m not listening to the money. I’m listening to the voters. I’m listening to you. Let’s win this together.
As a potential independent candidate Cuomo didn't poll that bad if you don't consider that:
- the 39% he got are the same as Mamdani, so it would be 50/50 at best
- as a known quantity, this 39% are probably his ceiling
- it still didn't factor Schumer effectively endorsing Mamdani on social media
Political players are in still in flux, but, for the right wing of the Democratic Party, moving against Mamdani is getting riskier and riskier by the day. Not only would they lose the "unity" argument to mobilize the left close to the midterms, but the risk of suffering an humiliating defeat is too great.
Billionaires should not exist.
Ackman said he was “gravely concerned” because he believed the left-wing candidate’s policies would be disastrous, triggering an exodus of the wealthy that would endanger New York’s public services by hollowing out its tax base.
wtf? Is this really the route they're going to take? I know, pay your fucking share of taxes and then there wouldn't be a "hollowing out."
This is the biggest endorsement Mamdani could get. I hope New Yorkers are paying attention.
Guy kinda sounds like a douchebag
Hollowing out the tax-base? Of what? Billionaires who have turned tax evasion into a sports championship?
In most places in the world, tax is primarily paid by the working people, not by the rich.
Which obviously leaves them with to much money that they squander on anti-citizen political campaigns like this. When they have the money for bribery on that level, they have the money to pax taxes like everyone else.
People of NYC: your vote is far more powerful than this dude throwing his lunch money at the opposition.
Gimme a hundred million dollars to lose to Mamdani. Sounds like a cushy gig.
you're doing something right when luigi, zohran got billionaires panties in a wad.
by hollowing out its tax base
As if the wealthy pay taxes. GTFO with that BS.
Sounds like he is a frightened douche-canoe. Fuck that guy.
Zohran should drop a diss track collab with Kendrick on Spotify. No amount of billionaire money could combat that.
Ackman said he was “gravely concerned” because he believed the left-wing candidate’s policies would be disastrous, triggering an exodus of the wealthy that would endanger New York’s public services by hollowing out its tax base.
Fake fucking news. Well all know the wealthy don't pay taxes.
Okay, but Cuomo spent triple what Zohran spent, and got his ass kicked.
Tell you what, just distribute all that money to your employees, and the result of the election will be the same as if you blew it all on a loser.
Tl;dr: New Yorkers should elect Zohran Mamdani as their mayor, and should re-elect him as long as he chooses to serve.
Got it. Locked in. Never been clearer.
Thanks Bill Ackman!
FOR SALE: NYC MAYOR
Price: Name your price.
Seller information: The putrid scum that a weeks worth of soaking in bleach wouldn't remove the stench from.
The racist republicans currently have the president of hells angels a biker gang responsible for coordinated killings, meth trafficking and sales. The gerontocracy of DNC is frightened and the GOP know this shift is their fault. Let it rain.
Ackman wants more Luigi in his NYC I guess
I'm gravely concerned that billionaires are allowed to exist
Official donation page for Mamdani
The wealthy can leave… nobody cares… if they don’t want to live in a nice city they can easily afford to move.
Gentlemen, this is plutocracy manifest!
This mother fucker claiming that wealthy are paying their share of taxes is jokes lmao and implying that the money actually is applied properly is also
I mean if money is all you need to win an election is it really an election? These people are fuckin ghouls.
Bill Ackman once again proves that he is a piece of shit.
Dinnertime! It's time to fucking eat and devour the Rich!
He could use some of that money for more immediate good. Start paying off people's school debt. Build housing. Whatever.
God damn he’s a genius because he doesn’t actually have to spend any money…..
(There isn’t anyone capable)
Bitch you lose
More like Bill Ickman
They are afraid of our collectivity. Billionaires should not be.
They can buy politicians and bribe people to vote for their candidate. When is a wealthy democrat going to start paying people to take it to the streets? The Gates, Buffets and Cubans in the US should fund a movement that would help support people who are registered, have a voting history and stand for the average American.
He can stuff all his money right up his ass
Oh! Me!Me! I swear I won't waste your money filming ads of me farting into a microphone. I don't live anywhere near New York so you don't have to worry about meeting me to do planning. I bet they'd love that.
Sometimes a left leaning candidate is a great, effective leader (think AOC, Bernie Sanders, Elizabeth Warren). Sometimes they are bat shit (think Kshama Sawant). I'm not sure where his guy lands on the spectrum. But as voters, I think we have to look at the candidates through a critical lens and remember left-leaning doesn't always make a great leader.