Some 26 billionaires and affluent American families have each contributed a minimum of $100,000 to pro-Cuomo and anti-Mamdani super PACs, with recent reports indicating the total donations exceed $28 million.
Baba Umar
WASHINGTON — With just five days until Election Day, Democratic nominee Zohran Mamdani holds a considerable lead over former Governor and Independent candidate Andrew Cuomo and Republican nominee Curtis Sliwa in the New York City mayoral race.
As Mamdani leads, reportedly some 62 billionaires and members of billionaire families are making a last-ditch effort to impede his path to becoming the mayor of New York City, which is home to 111 billionaires, possessing a combined wealth exceeding $717 billion — over six times the city’s yearly budget.
Some 26 billionaires and affluent American families have each contributed a minimum of $100,000 to organisations, including pro-Cuomo and anti-Mamdani super Political Action Committees (PACs) such as “Fix the City” and “Defend NYC“, with recent reports indicating that the total donations exceed $28 million.
“The roughly five dozen billionaires have pumped more cash into the election through super PACs than have the 60,000 small-dollar donors who have given directly to the candidates’ campaigns,” according to Americans for Tax Fairness Action Fund (ATFAF), a national economic justice group.
ATFAF noted that most funds backed Cuomo, opposing Mamdani’s pledge to make the metropolis affordable and slap additional 2 percent tax on New Yorkers who make more than $1 million a year. Mamdani’s campaign has reportedly garnered support from only two billionaire donors, contributing $270,000 to external PACs backing his candidacy.
Here are some of the biggest billionaire donors —
Michael Bloomberg
Billionaire and former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg invested an additional $1.5 million into a super PAC that supports Cuomo’s campaign for mayor, marking a late monetary support aimed to block Mamdani’s progress before Tuesday’s election.
Bloomberg’s recent donation brings his total support for Cuomo to $9.5 million, making him the largest financial backer of the former governor’s campaign.
Joseph Gebbia
The Airbnb co-founder and current “Chief Design Officer” for US President Donald Trump, Gebbia has donated $3 million to groups such as Fix the City, Defend NYC, Put NYC First.
Gebbia backs Cuomo’s candidacy and has urged Sliwa to withdraw.
Lauder family
The Lauder family, heirs to the Estee Lauder fortune, have given around $2.6 million to anti-Mamdani committees.
In September, Ronald Lauder donated $750,000 to Fix the City. William Lauder contributed $500,000 in August, with other Lauder family members providing over $750,000 since June.
Bill Ackman
Bill Ackman, a New York City-based hedge fund manager, has pumped 1.75 million for Fix the City, Defend NYC. He’s been urging Sliwa to withdraw, claiming he’s diverting anti-Mamdani votes from Cuomo. Ackman has pledged to erect a gold statue of Sliwa in Times Square, New York, should Sliwa withdraw from the race.
Sliwa, the founder of the vigilante group Guardian Angels, has little chance of winning the election, and he has defied calls to withdraw from the race.
According to the New York City Campaign Finance Board, these are some of the top donors to the Cuomo campaign.
Tisch Family
The Loews Corp family, part-owners of the New York Giants, with a net worth exceeding $10 billion, have supported pro-Cuomo PAC Fix the City, investing $1.2 million in the anti-Mamdani campaign.
Interestingly, Jessica Tisch, a family member who has not donated to any campaign, is New York’s police commissioner. Mamdani has pledged to keep her in the role if he becomes the mayor.
John Hess and family
Oil and gas billionaire Johnathan Hess, the CEO of Hess Corporation, and his family have reportedly so far donated $1 million to the pro-Cuomo PAC Fix the City.
Daniel Loeb
Daniel Loeb, an “activist” hedge fund manager and resident of New York has pumped $775,000 into pro-Cuomo and anti-Mamdani PACs such as Fix the City, New Yorkers For A Better Future Mayor 25, and Defend NYC.
Barry Diller and Steve Wynn
A resident of New York and film and television entrepreneur, Barry Diller has donated $500,000 to pro-Cuomo PAC Fix the City. Steve Wynn, a Florida-based billionaire and real estate developer, has donated $500,000 to Fix the City.
Defend NYC is a super PAC that opposes the mayoral campaign of Zohran Mamdani.
Other pro-Cuomo and pro-Sliwa donors include —
Marcella Guarino Hymowitz (spouse of Gregg Hymowitz) $400,000
David Walentas $350,000
Reed Hastings $250,000
John Fish $250,000
David Lichtenstein $250,000
Alice Walton $200,000
Deborah Simon (of the Simon family) $200,000
Jerry Speyer $150,000
Stephanie Coleman (spouse of Chase Coleman III) $150,000
Durst family $110,000
Fisher family $110,000
Daniel Och $100,000
Ken Langone $100,000
James and Kathryn Murdoch $100,000
Bruce and Suzie Kovner $100,000
Richard Kurtz $100,000
Elghanayan family $100,000
Elizabeth Simons has contributed $250,000 to the pro-Mamdani super PAC New Yorkers for Lower Costs.
Elizabeth Simons
Elizabeth Simons, an heiress and philanthropist, stands alone as a Mamdani supporter among top billionaire donors in the New York mayoral race.
Simons is the daughter of James Simons, a mathematician and hedge fund innovator who passed away in 2024. His family’s net worth was recently estimated at $32.5 billion.
Simons donated $250,000 to New Yorkers for Lower Costs, the largest outside spending group backing Mamdani.
According to the New York City Campaign Finance Board, several individuals who are not billionaires have contributed over $100,000 to the pro-Mamdani PAC.
These include Omar Hasan, a retiree from Redwood City, California ($250,000), Mohammed Javed, a CEO in the commerce sector from Pennsylvania ($251,500), and Faheem Zaman, a Block Project Manager from Jackson Heights, New York ($100,000).
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