The list of billionaires spending big in a last-ditch effort to keep Zohran Mamdani from becoming NYC mayor
The list of billionaires spending big in a last-ditch effort to keep Zohran Mamdani from becoming NYC mayor
billionaire philanthropist
Has there ever been a more bullshit term in the entirety of the English language?
The poorest billionaire could give away 90% of their fortune, and still earn more a year through interest on the remaining wealth than a normal person will in their entire life.
So no.
Ooh, it's in a week. I'm excited!
I'm not even American. Nor do I plan to step foot in the US until the current crisis is over. But growing up with movies and shows set in what is probably an overly romanticized version of NYC and then actually visiting the city briefly a few years ago, it still seems like such an amazing place. Perhaps not for the many, many New Yorkers who can't afford it (which Mamdani is trying to fix after all), but in general... You just walk around and behind every corner there's something interesting. No need to go to the tourist traps, because the entire city is cool and so alive.
Before a bunch of things happened in my life that tied me down for the next 2 decades or so, I wanted to see if I could get a tech job in NYC. Financially it doesn't seem as great as the Bay Area, but I like the dense city with the subway and everything. Envisioned myself living in a fancy apartment complex that has its own gym and pool one day lol
how can you be so deluded?
Deluded about what in particular? That NYC can be kinda awesome, or that I could afford a nice place there?
It was a bit of a 6-7 year plan, which I started on before the job market for software engineers went to shit. I wouldn't have moved to the US for anything less than a senior position at a big tech company anyway. At least 300k total comp annually, otherwise I was gonna stay in the EU where I already am.
Of course, the job market changed and my own life circumstances changed too. Now it's not on my radar anymore.
New Yorker here. Visiting here is cool because you can go back where you came from and live in a normal neighborhood, living here, not so much. There is a lot of political and real estate corruption which has caused renting prices to skyrocket. It is a bad financial decision to actually try to live here because you’ll never own a home (minimum house costs $1.5M). Most everyone who isn’t rich or living with family, is on some form of welfare or assistance just to meet rent, whether it’s NYCHA, Section 8 or piling up 5 roommates in a 3 bedroom apartment just to have a normal rent cost. And even then, you’ll likely only be in your spot 3 maybe 5 years because the rent goes up every year until you eventually get priced out and have to leave. Healthcare workers are leaving. Professors are leaving. Everyone even the homegrown New Yorkers are leaving for other states like Florida, North Carolina, Virginia, etc.
Lots of store fronts are just abandoned because businesses have packed up and left too. There’s homeless everywhere. Drug addicts and mentally ill aimlessly roam the streets. It’s BAD. The problems here are endless all due to political corruption among the local government. The city misspends and washes tax money and has drained the city dry. The subway is literally crumbling apart still running on 1960s and older machinery. The rich have sucked this city dry along with the life and culture it once had. Rich white people and Jews are buying up all the real estate and pushing Black and Brown people out by tearing down their homes, rebuilding and then jacking up the rents very high in historic, iconic areas like Harlem, Brooklyn and now the Bronx, so the Black and Brown people can’t move back in.
Jobs you can forget it. Job fair lines are wrapped down several blocks of unemployed people looking for work and food pantries have a crowd all the time. I’ve seen a lot of people dumpster-diving as well. I could keep going on with the sad states of affairs here.
Everything is just in a horrible state right now for New Yorkers. I voted today and cast my vote for Mamdani, because I really hope he can turn this around. We are tired.
Oh yeah, I fully believe you that there are a lot of issues, particularly for the displaced minorities and poorer people in general. I've looked at the rent prices on StreetEasy and they do NOT look appealing to someone who works even a decent job, much less those working low-end jobs.
But also, as I said in a response to another person who commented, I would've only moved to NYC in particular for a senior level position at a big tech company (which I hate with a passion, but one can swallow their pride for 5 years for a good amount of money). In fact I would not move to the US in general, even bumfuck nowhere, for less than 6 figures and a city like NYC or SF I would only consider for at least 200-300k. The market for software engineers has changed and it's no longer as feasible to grind oneself into a job like that, so I'm not too mad at my loss of freedom of movement (AKA: I have a child and my ex would never allow us to move anywhere). Also I don't think I'd ever buy a house in NYC myself. It was always a "move in for 5-10 years, grind for money, enjoy the social life, get the hell back to Europe before I'm old and need socialized healthcare again, spend my later years travelling cheaper countries" kinda dream.
I hope things get better for you in particular and NYC in general. I still truly think it could be one of the most awesome cities in the world to live in if it was more affordable.
The reign of terror in France led to Napoleon becoming emperor. It was not even a short term solution, let alone long term. It would probably be cathartic, but I don't think it would repair democracy.
You should read about Napoleon. He was actually a pretty decent ruler. This is by no means an endorsement of authoritarian rule "so long as it's the right ruler". But when you look at the what existed before and what came immediately after, I believe he's unfairly maligned.
The Reign of Terror didn't lead to Napoléon beeing emperor, there has been at least 5 years of another regime between the two
"We've tried encouraging violence online, but it's not working to start a revolution and ruin america? What else can I do boss?"
What a joke.
Let them waste their money
Billionaires still don't get that their fear and outrage is a ringing endorsement for someone like Mamdani. Every dollar they spend implies many more dollars available to be collected by the city. Their best strategy would have been utter indifference. I guess now we know who has a terrible poker face.
It gotten to the point every time a see a political add and it’s like
“Do you want puppies to be happy? Then vote yes on prop 106b to stop people from killing puppies with chainsaws”
So I go look it up and it’s like “106b passing would mean Elon musk can personally kick us in the balls every morning… I feel like that advertisement was a bit misleading… he nearly got me that time… why does he want to kick me in the balls so bad? It’s getting weird “
"He's spending more money than that I would even tax him... Habibi, I don't even want that much" - Zorhan Mamdani on Bill Ackerman's efforts to buy the election.
billionaires arent exactly known for thier subtlety, they are all narcissists that require sycophants to surround them.
The thing I think a lot of people miss when talking about how harshly billionaires oppose him, is that the billionaires are not afraid of a socialist, or a democratic socialist, or paying 2% more in taxes. Not just that anyway.
They are afraid of having elected officials they can't buy. If you're a billionaire, it doesn't matter if Cuomo, or Adams wins. You may have a preference, but you can "donate to" either of those guys. They'll take the money.
Taxes are nothing compared to the way they fear public support for ethical, economic-populism.
The irony is they could have gotten rid of him for a fraction of the cost, by donating to him and when asked about it after the fact saying they'd "come to an understanding" with his campaign. That would erode trust faster than all the racist mailers money can buy.
It is entirely about control to them and making everyone beneath them their bitch. If you could logically argue that for 1% of their networth they can turn the planet into a paradise and have a 100% approval rating among the entire world and people would be building statues of them and singing songs of praise centuries after they die they would still say no to that. Because everything has to be about them being in control and ordering everyone and everything.
This just shows how much they want to keep living and working in NYC. So he can raise their taxes to the same amount they would pay in New Jersey and they will stay, because they want to do business and go to Broadway shows.
Life for poor people might get slightly better. Rich people might not even notice 2% more taxes paid but the person serving them at a Michelin star restaurant might have a real smile on their face instead of a fake one.
Fuck that. Kick them out. Tax them until they have to live like human beings if they want to stay in new york. If they're the enemy, and they are, he should treat them like it.
These scum should be punished for buying elections. And, you know; everything else they do.
Zohran shouldn't increase their taxes too much. If he can raise it this tiny unnoticeable amount and get lower rents, free busses, cheaper childcare, and lower food prices then it will show other cities and states what they can do with taxing these greedy assholes. Then in the next federal election cycle someone like him can come in and push for a bigger tax rise federally for these robber barons. Give them tax hikes or give them a one way trip to the guillotine basket, suddenly taxes won't seem like such a bother.
Lauder, a Republican, has long been a financial supporter of Cuomo. He is the president of the World Jewish Congress.
Those two sentences alone say a lot more about Cuomo, power brokering, and the inherent corruption at the heart of the system than the leadership of either major party wants you to know.
What? He sold out faster than you can say SSanders.
Beyond "just read the article," let's have a little bit more "just read the actual headline."
I think you didn't understand.
What I mean is he has turned his coat really fast, done everything to please the millionaires and genociders (including keeping this ghoul), but it's not good enough for them apparently.
He needs to do everything he can to nail their balls to two different horses running opposite directions.
If Mamdani isn’t planning on running an ad hilighting how all these rich fucks are piling on against him… that’s a big missed opportunity
That's not the last ditch. Kirking him is in their repertoire.
This is the one assassination that I know would be a real inside job. Kirk was killed by a nutcase groyper, and whoever killed Thompson was pissed off at the 'healthcare' system (and no it wasn't Luigi).
Don't agree with you on the nutcase groyper part. Unless they infiltrated Turning Point USA deeply, had their own security guards watching Kirk, some of Kirks best friends were double agents, and they figured out how to inject Kirk with the same stuff Wolverine got and made his bones a miracle that can stop a .30-06 bullet.
Kirking?
As in Charlie
what does the article mean by "x gave y $ to 'fix the city'"? it's in each of the billionairs listed
Fix the City, Inc., is an independent expenditure committee (IE) organized under New York law that was initially established to support the mayoral candidacy of Andrew Cuomo and expanded its mission in June 2025 to oppose the election of Zohran Mamdani.
Their website is straight up ad-hominem propaganda against Mamdani.
Amazing how they'll spend all that money to protect their comfort and exploitation but NOT just PAY THEIR TAXES at a reasonable rate?? They cannot see how this is a brain sickness and their money has made them disordered hoarders and a drain on society. People would like them if they just put the money back into the system that enabled them to extract it in the first place, but they don't understand the concept of enough. Frankly, they need to be saved from their money just as much as we need to be saved from their greed.
As Mamdani has said, some of them are literally spending more money than he would tax them which just shows how poisoned they are.
Not poisoned enough IMHO.
I had to read this six times before it would stick to my brain. I literally couldn't believe it on some deep, fundamental level.
"Poisoned" is right. I'd love to hear what psychology is at work here, because it ain't a matter of basic math.
Just remember that a lot of the money that these people have has been stolen from the people who have worked for them and their companies whom they've grossly underpaid, some of them for literally decades.
I can't forget. Wage theft is the most common crime today, and the same criminals have the gall to point at poor people stealing diapers for their children who are hungry cause the wages aren't livable IF they even get paid. It's sick and it has to change.
The "you have mettled, Mr Beale" rant has a lot of truth to it in the sense that it reveals their actual motivations.
Capital possesses men like a demon.