Democratic New York City mayoral candidate and State Assemblyman Zohran Mamdani has been a vocal advocate for the elimination of billionaires. However, according to financial records examined by the New York Post, globally renowned billionaire George Soros has indirectly injected as much as $37 million in political donations to groups and left-wing organizations supporting Mamdani through his Open Society Foundations since 2016.
Soros, a longtime supporter of progressive causes, may influence Mamdani’s visibility and political momentum in the New York City political scene, potentially paving the way for him to defeat former Governor Cuomo in the Democratic primary.
The New York Post’s investigation reveals that a significant portion of these funds has flowed to the Working Families Party (WFP), a key player in Mamdani’s campaign, through its fundraising arm, the Working Families Organization Inc., which has received approximately $23.7 million since 2016. The party coordinated endorsements across party lines in the primary, successfully sidelining Cuomo and helping Mamdani secure the Democratic nomination.
Additionally, around $14 million has been channeled to nine left-wing organizations closely cooperating with Mamdani, including groups like Make the Road Action, Community Voices Heard, Move On, and the Jewish Voice for Peace Action, all of which have publicly endorsed Mamdani’s mayoral bid.
These organizations share Mamdani’s agenda, which includes significantly increasing taxes on wealthy and high-income communities, promoting city-run supermarkets, advocating for undocumented immigrants, and criticizing Israel.
Incumbent New York City Mayor Adams criticized Mamdani directly, stating, “Mamdani’s rhetoric against successful individuals while relying on funding from billionaires like Soros is fundamentally contradictory.” Adams emphasized his own humble origins and path to achieving the American Dream, asserting that the notion of banning billionaires is not only extreme but also un-American.
Republican mayoral candidate Curtis Sliwa also criticized Mamdani, stating, “Mamdani doesn’t actually want to eliminate all billionaires; he just wants to dismantle those who do not support his radical agenda.”
John Catsimatidis, a supermarket magnate and billionaire who has long been at odds with Mamdani on the issue of city-run supermarkets, called on Mamdani to publicly clarify his relationship with Soros, questioning how Mamdani can decry the free market while benefiting from wealthy donations.
As of now, neither Soros nor Mamdani has publicly responded to inquiries about the source of the funds.