Jeff Bezos warns Mamdani on NYC taxes, Amazon founder hits slams wasteful spending
Jeff Bezos commented on New York City's proposed pied-à-terre tax. He suggested that aggressive tax increases could negatively impact tourism and competitiveness. Bezos also criticized targeting individuals, calling it a villain strategy. He argued that government spending inefficiencies are a greater concern than taxation. Bezos previously criticized the city's public school spending and…
Amazon founder Jeff Bezos has commented on New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani's proposed pied-à-terre tax, which would impose an annual surcharge on non-primary residences valued at $5 million or more. Bezos, who owns a residence in the city, said that he considers the proposed tax to be a "fine thing for New York to do," but emphasized the importance of balancing revenue generation with economic competitiveness. He cautioned that raising hotel taxes too aggressively could deter tourists from visiting the city.
Bezos also criticized Mamdani's April 14 video filmed outside Citadel CEO Ken Griffin's Central Park South penthouse, in which Mamdani announced the tax proposal. Bezos rejected the "villain strategy" of targeting individuals, likening Ken Griffin to a hotel owner that tourists rely on for their stay. He viewed Griffin's reaction to the video as "creepy" and threatened to cancel a $6 billion development project, prompting mediation by Governor Kathy Hochul.
Shifting the focus away from the personal feud, Bezos directed the debate towards government spending. He argued that government waste is a more significant issue than insufficient taxation, noting that Amazon CFOs could easily find wasteful spending in the federal budget. Bezos suggested that government spending inefficiency is the real problem, rather than the need for increased taxation.
This is not the first time that Amazon founder Jeff Bezos has criticized New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani. He previously criticized the city's public school spending and Mamdani's economic policies, arguing that increased funding does not solve underlying issues. During an interview on CNBC's Squawk Box, Bezos compared the city's education system to Amazon's operations, stating that inefficiencies in public administration would not be tolerated in business.
He described the result of such inefficiencies as slow package delivery and incorrect items being delivered, likening it to the problems he claims exist in the city's public school system.
Written by urgent.news from Times of India's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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