Mayor of New York City Zohran Mamdani built his political agenda by targeting billionaires. Now he’s praising one for supporting the police.
Last week, Mamdani publicly thanked Citadel billionaire Ken Griffin for his support of defunding the police, a moment that went somewhat unnoticed but provided insight into a more complicated dynamic between the hedge fund king and the socialist mayor.
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New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani has previously criticized billionaires, including Ken Griffin, whom he recently thanked for his support of the police. (Spencer Platt/Getty Images/Getty Images)
“I want to thank everyone who is here with us in the Hall of Heroes today, with special thanks to the Commissioner of Police. [Jessica] Tisch and the leadership of the NYPD,” Mamdani said at One Police Plaza, speaking to department officials and the families of the slain officers.
“I would also like to thank Ken Griffin for funding a memorial wall which will open later this year,” he added.
The acknowledgment comes just days after a public spat between the two men, sparked by Mamdani’s April 15 viral video promoting a proposed second-home tax worth more than $5 million. Filmed outside Griffin’s 24,000-square-foot Central Park South penthouse, purchased for a record $238 million, the video singled out Griffin by name.
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Citadel CEO Ken Griffin purchased the penthouse at 220 Central Park South in 2019 for approximately $238 million. (Jeenah Moon/Bloomberg/Getty Images / Getty Images)
“This is an annual fee on luxury properties worth more than $5 million, whose owners don’t live full-time in the city. Like this penthouse, which hedge fund CEO Ken Griffin bought for $238 million,” Mamdani said in the clip.
Griffin strongly criticized the decision, calling it “personal attack” and a “profound lack of judgment” during his speech at Norges Bank Investment Management’s 2026 investment conference in Oslo, where he questioned what he described as the “demonization” of business leaders.
The clash highlights a growing divide between progressive ambitions for the city and the financial sector that has long fueled its economy.
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After the episode, Griffin, who resides primarily in Florida, indicated he might reconsider a major decision. Downtown Manhattan development, which raises the stakes of the conflict.
For Griffin, the donation is part of a broader pattern of support for law enforcement efforts in big cities; for Mamdani, this recognition could signal a desire to consolidate funding for public security.
