{"id":3182,"date":"2025-10-15T10:27:09","date_gmt":"2025-10-15T10:27:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/3182\/"},"modified":"2025-10-15T10:27:09","modified_gmt":"2025-10-15T10:27:09","slug":"new-york-business-leaders-shocked-to-find-out-they-actually-like-zohran-mamdani","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/3182\/","title":{"rendered":"New York Business Leaders Shocked to Find Out They Actually Like Zohran Mamdani"},"content":{"rendered":"

After Zohran Mamdani<\/a> ran away with<\/a> the Democratic nomination for New York City mayor in June\u2019s primary, business leaders across the city lost their collective minds. Billionaire Bill Ackman declared<\/a> that Mamdani\u2019s \u201cpolicies would be disastrous for NYC.\u201d Fellow billionaire Daniel Loeb compared<\/a> Mamdani to Fidel Castro. Venture capitalist Bradley Tusk predicted New York might go the way<\/a> of Detroit and Baltimore, cities he said had become \u201cdirty and dangerous.\u201d On CNBC, Jim Cramer wondered<\/a> if, in Mamdani\u2019s New York, the rich would \u201cget shot.\u201d An emergency meeting was held at the Pool Room<\/a> about stopping the 33-year-old democratic socialist, whose name, to some, had become the scariest word du jour, the mere mention of which would send shivers down their spines.<\/p>\n

At the same time, some business leaders have actually met with Mamdani face-to-face, in private, and come away with the shocking revelation that\u2026he\u2019s kind of delightful! And they actually like him!<\/p>\n

Yes, The New York Times reports<\/a> that over the last few months, a \u201csurprising thing has been happening when Mr. Mamdani gets behind closed doors with New York\u2019s elite,\u201d which is that instead of spitting in their faces or adopting a Mr. Smithers\u2013esque tone while telling them he\u2019s going to tax them at 90% and use their penthouses for his city-run grocery stores, he \u201clistens, asks questions, and is amiable.\u201d Another thing they like: \u201cHe doesn\u2019t lecture the business leaders, instead absorbing their points of view and, at times, promising to think about their arguments.\u201d (It\u2019s probably also helpful that he has said<\/a> that there is \u201ca very important role to be played\u201d by the private sector when it comes to addressing NYC\u2019s housing crisis.) Among those who have sat down with the would-be mayor are James Whelan, the president of the Real Estate Board of New York, who Mamdani cold-called and asked for a meeting; real estate manager Jeffrey Gural; Pfizer executive Sally Susman; and Michael Bloomberg and his longtime adviser Howard Wolfson. (He\u2019s also reportedly \u201cspoken briefly\u201d with JPMorgan CEO Jamie Dimon and \u201cdiscussed economic policy\u201d with former UBS Americas CEO Robert Wolf.)<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t want him to fail,\u201d Gural told the Times, also saying that Mamdani came off as \u201cpersonable\u201d and \u201csmart.\u201d (Gural maintained that he still plans to vote for Andrew Cuomo.) Susman similarly called the candidate smart and a \u201cgood listener,\u201d noting that he \u201cpicks up on things.\u201d Meanwhile, Wolfson\u2014who maintained that Mamdani would not get his vote\u2014described the democratic socialist as \u201cintelligent and engaged and engaging,\u201d adding that \u201che asks good questions, he avoids unnecessary argument.\u201d According to Wolfson, the former mayor was equally impressed by the candidate.<\/p>\n

\u201cZohran has made clear that he\u2019s willing to meet with anyone\u2014including those who disagree with him\u2014to advance his affordability agenda,\u201d a spokeswoman for Mamdani told the Times.<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, as the ruling classes make their peace with Mamdani, his popularity continues to spread. The online astrologer Chani Nicholas<\/a> appeared in a video this week wearing<\/a> a \u201cNew York Jews for Zohran\u201d T-shirt, while the Hot Girls for Zohran group is hosting<\/a> a number of events this month in support of the candidate.<\/p>\n