Big Tech employees have created a quandary for their companies with their financial support of democratic socialist Zohran Mamdani's campaign for New York City mayor.
According to a New York Post analysis of campaign finance data, tech workers were among the biggest group of donors to Mamdani, who won the Democrat primary earlier this summer and is widely considered to be the Big Apple's mayoral front-runner.
The 33-year-old member of the New York Assembly vowed to raise taxes on the wealthy, and his past calls to defund the police have set off alarm bells among the city's business and tech leaders, many of whom fear that his progressive policies will spur a San Francisco-style mass exodus.
The Post's analysis found that rank-and-file Google employees donated almost $40,500 to Mamdani's campaign through July 11, which was more than any other company or institution.
Ranking seventh on the list, Meta workers reportedly gave more than $10,500, followed by Amazon employees, who made nearly $9,000 in campaign contributions.
According to the data, substantial campaign cash also came from Bloomberg ($8,816), Spotify ($7,415), Block ($6,265), Squarespace ($3,957), and MongoDB ($3,900).
From June 25 through July 11, records show that Mamdani raised $816,014 in overall contributions from approximately 10,500 donors. More than $350,000 of that figure came from donations made outside New York.
John Borthwick, a prominent tech investor and CEO of Betaworks, told the Post that the tech worker donations don't "surprise me at all" because "young people in particular want change."
Critics say Mamdani's plans – including free public buses, universal child-care beginning at six weeks old, a pilot program for city-run grocery stores, and a freeze on regulated rents – could wreak havoc on the housing market and lead to businesses pulling up stakes and fleeing the city.
After San Francisco's leadership implemented progressive policies, companies left the city by the Bay en masse to escape the rampant crime and homelessness.
Insiders the Post spoke with say tech companies are weighing their need to voice concerns about a potential Mamdani administration against the risk of alienating their employees, who appear highly supportive of his policies.
Last month, Partnership for New York City hosted a summit with Mamdani focused on the outlook for the tech sector. The Partnership and Tech:NYC described the meeting as "lively and productive," but other commerce leaders are seemingly more apprehensive about how Mamdani as mayor would impact city business.
Borthwick's "key concern" on a Mamdani stint in City Hall is the mayoral hopeful's approach to artificial intelligence. He noted that Mamdani has not yet put forth a vision on how New York City should best harness the technology, which threatens to create significant workforce upheaval while revolutionizing industry.
"This technology is going to transform the city, and he isn't thinking or ready for it," Borthwick said.
Nicole Weatherholtz ✉
Nicole Weatherholtz, a Newsmax general assignment reporter covers news, politics, and culture. She is a National Newspaper Association award-winning journalist.
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