Billionaire and Citadel CEO Ken Griffin repeated his company’s intentions to “double down” on moving to Miami in the wake of his feud with New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani.
“When we moved from Chicago, there was a debate between New York and Miami,” Griffin said at the 2026 Milken Institute Conference on Tuesday. “It’s unquestionably true that we made the right choice. I’ll leave it at that.”
Griffin was responding to Mamdani’s viral Tax Day video, which singled out Griffin’s Manhattan penthouse while announcing a new pied-à-terre tax.
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He referred to the video as “creepy and weird” and urged his New York business partners to continue to invest in freer cities like Miami.
“Now what the mayor of New York has made clear to my partners, and principally my New York partners, is that we need to double down on our bet in Miami because we want to be in a state that embraces business, embraces education, embraces personal freedom and liberty,” he said. “And that embraces people having an opportunity to live the American dream, a dream of earned success, not a dream of distributive handouts that leave people dependent on government for their lives and their livelihoods in a way that takes away their dignity and honor.”
“We’ve seen a mass exodus of business leadership from California to Texas and Florida. Mamdani’s making it very clear. New York doesn’t welcome success,” Griffin added.
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A statement to Fox News Digital read, “Mayor Mamdani wants all New Yorkers to succeed. That includes business owners and entrepreneurs who create good-paying jobs and make this city the economic engine of America. It also includes Ken Griffin, who is a major employer in our City and a powerful figure in our economy.”
The statement continued, “That does not negate the fact, however, that our tax system is fundamentally broken. It rewards extreme wealth while working people are pushed to the brink. The status quo is unsustainable and unjust. If we want this city to become a place that working people can afford, we need meaningful tax reform that includes the wealthiest New Yorkers contributing their fair share.”
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Despite calling out Griffin in his video, Mamdani personally thanked Griffin for his donation to the New York Police Department last week.
“I want to thank everyone who is here with us in the Hall of Heroes today, with special thanks to Police Commissioner [Jessica] Tisch and NYPD leadership,” Mamdani said at One Police Plaza, speaking before department brass and families of slain officers.
“I also want to thank Ken Griffin for funding a memorial wall that will open later this year,” he added.
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