Wall Streeters slammed New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani\u2019s new so-called \u201cBusiness Advisory Council,\u201d calling it \u201cphony\u201d and a \u201cwaste of time\u201d after the far-left pol delivered months of insults to the business community.<\/p>\n
The panel aims to tap key industries for advice and feedback to the mayor, City Hall confirmed to The Post on Friday. The Mamdani administration has invited bankers including Robert Wolf, the former chief executive officer of UBS Americas and an ally of former President Obama\u2019s, Bloomberg reported.<\/p>\n
\u201cPhony. A pretend effort to fool reasonable people into thinking [Mamdani] is willing to be reasonable towards business,\u201d a top Wall Street executive said of the board.<\/p>\n
Mamdani has come under fire from some business leaders, such as JPMorgan CEO Jamie Dimon, for his tax-and-spend policies that critics warn will drive companies away from New York City. Matthew McDermott for NY Post<\/p>\n
A Wall Street CEO called it \u201cprobably a waste of time,\u201d scoffing that Wolf is \u201ca bag of air.\u201d<\/p>\n
Asked for comment, a Wall Street lawyer said of Wolf, a major Democratic Party donor: \u201cThe old UBS guy? He\u2019s kind of a douche.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mamdani recently axed the advisors of a major nonprofit that channels private sector donations to fund city initiatives.<\/p>\n
The 34-year-old dismissed all of the advisory board members of the Mayor\u2019s Fund to Advance New York City.<\/p>\n
The new advisory board will be a poor substitute, the lawyer said.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt only exists to get checks from appointees for the mayor\u2019s pet projects,\u201d the person said. \u201cMam is appointing many folks who can\u2019t write checks, so I don\u2019t get it.<\/p>\n
Wolf dismissed the criticism as \u201cuninformed gossip.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIf Mamdani or anyone else asks for my advice on how to make New York city thrive, I would raise my hand if they were Democrat or Republican,\u201d he told The Post.<\/p>\n
Ex-UBS executive Robert Wolf was one of the Wall Streeters named by the Bloomberg report as having been approached to join the new business advisory group. Getty Images<\/p>\n
Wolf declined to confirm whether he\u2019s joining the business panel.<\/p>\n
A separate source briefed on the matter said there has been \u201cno formal ask or acceptance\u201d among the names floated<\/p>\n
The new group is set to provide the mayor with direct feedback from the finance, technology and real estate sectors.<\/p>\n