Billionaire hedge funder Bill Ackman is taking another jab at New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani\u2019s far-left policies \u2013 as he declines to rule out his own potential mayoral run one day.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m not a fan,\u201d Ackman said of the democratic socialist<\/a> in an episode of podcast \u201cMoney Rehab\u201d this week. <\/p>\n \u201cHe\u2019s very smart, very charismatic, very good at politics, but I think the decisions he\u2019s making are very bad for New York.\u201d<\/p>\n Billionaire Bill Ackman (above) took another jab at NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani this week. Bloomberg via Getty Images<\/p>\n Asked whether he would ever consider running for mayor himself, Ackman said: \u201cI would say possibly, but I think I could achieve a lot more by helping a very talented person do that job.\u201d<\/p>\n Ackman was playing a speed-round game of \u201cbullish and bearish,\u201d giving his opinions on Bitcoin, gold, sports betting, the Trump administration and Mamdani, when he took the opportunity to criticize the mayor\u2019s decision to make enemies of the city\u2019s wealthiest.<\/p>\n Mamdani infuriated New York\u2019s business community<\/a> when he released an April 15 video promoting his and Gov. Kathy Hochul\u2019s new pied-\u00e0-terre tax on second luxury homes \u2013 filming himself directly outside the Citadel founder\u2019s 24,000-square-foot property at 220 Central Park South.<\/p>\n \u201cI mean, all the various things that Mamdani wants to pay for require revenues from the likes of people like Ken Griffin. So if you scare away Ken Griffin or discourage the Ken Griffins of the world from being in New York City, it\u2019s a disaster for New York,\u201d Ackman told podcast host Nicole Lapin.<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t think the country or New York City has a revenue problem,\u201d he added. \u201cI think we have an efficiency and waste problem.\u201d<\/p>\n Ackman, who recently spent $260 million<\/a> to create a massive brain research institute in Manhattan, said Griffin is \u201ca massive driver of New York City economic value\u201d who is now \u201cincreasing [his] presence in Miami and diminishing [his] presence in New York.\u201d<\/p>\n Following the video\u2019s release, Griffin \u2013 whose firm employs thousands of workers in New York \u2013 signaled he might yank a $6 billion development project planned for the city.<\/p>\n Griffin has since called on New Yorkers to \u201cfight for their city\u201d against \u201ctax the rich\u201d mantra<\/a> \u2013 while simultaneously expanding the footprint of a planned multibillion-dollar development project in Miami<\/a>, according to reports.<\/p>\n NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani (above) infuriated the Big Apple\u2019s business community earlier this year. Erik Pendzich\/Shutterstock<\/p>\n As for President Trump\u2019s second term in office, on the other hand, Ackman heaped praise on the commander-in-chief and said he is optimistic about the next two-and-a-half years.<\/p>\n \u201cI like the president and I think he\u2019s done a lot of things right,\u201d Ackman said. \u201cI decided to support him relatively earlier on and I\u2019m happy I did and I think he\u2019s vastly better than what the alternative is.\u201d<\/p>\n He added that he likes presidents who don\u2019t \u201chave to worry about getting re-elected\u201d so they can just focus on policy without factoring in politics.<\/p>\n In terms of his investing hot takes, Ackman said he is bearish on sports betting, gold and Bitcoin.<\/p>\n Ken Griffin (above) has reportedly been expanding his presence in Miami. Bloomberg via Getty Images<\/p>\n