A CNBC anchor is criticizing New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani after he filmed a video outside hedge fund billionaire Ken Griffin’s Manhattan penthouse while promoting a proposed tax targeting high-end properties, as reported [1] by The New York Post.
Mamdani recorded the video Thursday outside Griffin’s residence at 220 Central Park South, a property valued at $238 million.
In the video, which was posted to his official social media accounts and quickly went viral with tens of millions of views, Mamdani referenced his campaign promises and highlighted the luxury apartment as an example of wealth he intends to target.
“When I ran for mayor, I said I was going to tax the rich,” Mamdani said in the clip.
He then pointed toward Griffin’s penthouse and added, “Like for this penthouse, which hedge fund CEO Ken Griffin bought for $238 million.”
The video drew a response from CNBC anchor Sara Eisen, who raised concerns about the potential impact of the messaging on business investment and economic activity in New York City.
Eisen, a co-anchor on “Squawk on the Street” and “Money Movers,” said the approach could have unintended consequences given Griffin’s role in the city’s economy.
“Ken Griffin employs thousands of people in NYC and is planning to build the tallest office tower on Park Ave., investing billions more and creating thousands more jobs,” Eisen wrote on X on Thursday, adding that “[f]or that reason, he’s also here in NYC a lot, @NYCMayor.”
She also pointed to competition from other cities seeking to attract major firms.
“Meantime Miami is welcoming him and his firm, with the massive jobs, investment and tax revenue he’s bringing,” Eisen wrote.
Eisen further noted that Griffin previously moved the headquarters of his hedge fund from Chicago to Miami, citing policy concerns.
Ken Griffin employs thousands of people in NYC and is planning to build the tallest office tower on Park Ave., investing billions more and creating thousands more jobs. (For that reason, he’s also here in NYC a lot, @NYCMayor [2])
Meantime Miami is welcoming him and his firm, with… https://t.co/k6JrvuwaEH [3]
— Sara Eisen (@SaraEisen) April 16, 2026 [4]
The proposed pied-à-terre tax referenced in Mamdani’s video was unveiled by New York Gov. Kathy Hochul.
The measure would impose an annual tax on luxury homes valued above $5 million that are owned by individuals who do not use them as full-time residences.
The proposal is aimed at high-value properties that often remain unoccupied for extended periods.
Speaking further about the issue, Eisen said business leaders are watching policy trends closely and weighing long-term decisions.
“The general attitude I hear from business leaders is ‘We can probably get through four years of anti-business policies, but the danger is the longer-term trend’,” Eisen told The Post on Friday.
She added that policy decisions can influence where companies choose to invest and expand.
“Bad policies have consequences, as we’ve seen a migration of business out of California and into Florida, for instance,” Eisen said.
Eisen also cautioned that New York’s position as a business hub could be affected if current trends continue.
“The general attitude I hear from business leaders is ‘We can probably get through four years of anti-business policies, but the danger is the longer-term trend’,” Eisen said.
“New York will always be special…it may not be as vibrant of a place for new offices and expansion in the future if we go down this path of demonizing them and disincentivizing them to be here.”
Griffin, founder of Citadel, has extensive investments in New York real estate and business operations.
His $238 million purchase at 220 Central Park South in 2019 set a record at the time for the highest price ever paid for a U.S. residence.
He has since expanded his presence with additional purchases at 740 Park Avenue.
Griffin is also backing the redevelopment of 350 Park Avenue, a planned 62-story office tower expected to span nearly 2 million square feet and cost approximately $4.5 billion.
Citadel and Citadel Securities are expected to anchor the building as a future Manhattan headquarters.
Griffin has previously tied business decisions to concerns about crime and regulatory conditions in major Northern cities.
In 2021, he said Chicago was “becoming ever more difficult to have this as our global headquarters, a city which has so much violence,” adding that conditions were “like Afghanistan on a good day and that’s a problem.”
He later stated, “I’ve lived in a failed city-state” and described incidents near his residence, saying, “I had 25 bullet holes in the front of my building where I lived.”
Citadel’s relocation to Miami followed those concerns, along with issues related to taxes and regulation.
Griffin has described Florida as offering a more favorable environment for business, contrasting it with what he characterized as challenges in Northern cities.
Officials from The Post said they reached out to both Mamdani and Griffin for comment on the situation.