New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani is making strides to mend his relationship with the Big Apple's elite by launching a new advisory council made up of CEOs.
Mamdani has been outspoken against the wealthy class, campaigning on claims that billionaires should not exist and implementing a pied-à-terre tax, which he announced in a controversial video message in front of hedge fund investor Ken Griffin's penthouse.
The mayor is now extending an olive branch to the community by establishing the Business Advisory Council, including CEOs of Chobani, Etsy and the WNBA New York Liberty team.
Hamdi Ulukaya, the billionaire CEO of Chobani, had urged Mamdani in April to 'have a regular dialogue with the business community,' Kathryn Wylde, the former CEO of the Partnership for New York City, who was also at the meeting, told the Wall Street Journal.
'It’s an honest effort by the mayor to get direct input from a group of business people that are not part of his natural constituency,' Wylde added.
'He isn’t used to messaging to this constituency, and doesn’t necessarily anticipate how they’re going to react to various policies or statements.'
There are 15 business leaders who have agreed to be a part of the council and will meet quarterly with Mamdani and Deputy Mayor for Economic Justice Julie Su, the mayor's office said in an announcement.
The advisory is intended to advise City Hall on finance, technology, real estate, sports, entertainment, retail and healthcare.
Mayor Zohran Mamdani has unveiled a new Business Advisory Council which includes 15 CEOs
Chobani Founder and CEO Hamdi Ulukaya is among the business leaders named to the council. He's pictured above with New York Governor Kathy Hochul
Mamdani has had a tense relationship with the business elite, previously being criticized by billionaires Ken Griffin, Bill Ackman, Ronald Lauder and Jamie Dimon
Prominent council members include: CEO of the New York Liberty Keia Clarke, CEO of Etsy Kruti Patel Goyal, CEO of Brandon Blackwood New York Brandon Blackwood, President and CEO of Northwell Health John D’Angelo, President and CEO of Amalgamated Bank Priscilla Sims Brown and acclaimed restaurateur Marcus Samuelsson.
The council represents business leaders across multiple sectors, including healthcare, fashion, sports, food and finance.
However, tech and Wall Street leaders are noticeably absent. The New York Times reported before the official announcement that Jose Tavarez, the president for New York City at Bank of America, Ken Chenault, the former chief executive of American Express, and Charles Phillips, a private equity executive, were approached to join the council but ultimately did not.
A spokesperson for the mayor's office told the Times that they could not discuss specific conversations with candidates, but that some executives choose not to participate due to time commitments, media attention, or clearance from their companies.
The step comes after fierce criticism from the New York elite and public rifts with prominent members.
Panic set in after Mamdani's historic win that the Democratic Socialist mayor would cause a 'billionaire exodus.'
JPMorgan CEO Jamie Dimon called Mamdani's campaign platform 'the same ideological mush that means nothing in the real world.'
The business council includes leaders in fashion, sports and finance
Dozens of billionaires contributed to political action committees to defeat Mamdani, prompting the then-mayoral candidate to declare at one of his rallies: 'Billionaires like Bill Ackman and Ronald Lauder have poured millions of dollars into this race because they say that we pose an existential threat.
'And I am here to admit something. They are right. We are an existential threat to billionaires who think their money can buy our democracy.'
Mamdani kept his promise by implementing a pied-à-terre tax, a property tax surcharge on high-value second homes.
The mayor posted a video on Tax Day in front of Griffin's Manhattan penthouse that quickly went viral.
'When I ran for mayor, I said I was going to tax the rich,' Mamdani said, before tapping the camera lens, and declaring, 'Well, today, we're taxing the rich.'
The video created a firestorm from New York's business elite, with Griffin himself condemning it as 'frightening,' claiming it left him in fear for his life.
When asked for comment on Mamdani's advisory council, a representative for Griffin told The Wall Street Journal: 'I don’t think this is a piece that needs Ken’s voice.'
The move is the mayor's latest attempt to extend an olive branch. He met with JPMorgan CEO Jamie Dimon earlier this year after the executive called his policies 'ideological mush'
Hedge fund investor Ken Griffin previously sparred with Mamdani over a video message in front of his Manhattan penthouse
In recent months, Mamdani has softened his tone on billionaires, meeting with Dimon and Goldman Sachs CEO David Solomon in May.
'The doors of City Hall are always open to New York’s business leaders, and I look forward to welcoming their experience and strategic guidance as we build a stronger, more dynamic economy,' the mayor said in a statement about his new Business Advisory Council.
'This council brings together the people building the next generation of New York’s economy — in finance, tech, life sciences, and beyond — to help us double down on what makes this city the best place on Earth to start a company, grow a business, and build a career. We want the most ambitious people in the world to come here, stay here, and build here.'
The Daily Mail has reached out to the mayor's office for additional comment.
