Zohran Mamdani Says He Shares One Goal With Elon Musk

A Surprising Alignment

New York City mayoral frontrunner Zohran Mamdani said this week that he shares one surprising policy goal with tech billionaire Elon Musk—efficiency. Speaking at Crain’s New York Business Mayoral Forum, Mamdani emphasized that “we’ve allowed someone like Elon Musk to make it seem as if the concerns of fraud and efficiency and waste, even quality of life — that these are somehow right wing concerns. These should be at the heart of any politics for working class people.” Yannick Peterhans/NorthJersey.com / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Bridging Opposite Worlds

The comparison may seem unlikely. Mamdani, a Democratic Socialist, has long argued that billionaires should not exist, while Musk recently became the first individual with a net worth exceeding $500 billion. When Mamdani won the Democratic primary in June, Musk mockingly replied to a social media post about the candidate with a laughing emoji. Still, both share a focus on eliminating inefficiency—Musk through his Department of Government Efficiency, and Mamdani through his proposed reforms to streamline city operations. U.S. Air Force / Trevor Cokley / Wikimedia

A Pro-Business Pitch

Despite skepticism from some business leaders, Mamdani stressed the importance of working with the private sector. He spoke about helping companies attract top talent and simplifying regulations for startups, even quoting Amazon founder Jeff Bezos to illustrate his point. At the same time, he reaffirmed his progressive priorities, calling for property tax reform and pointing to billionaire Ken Griffin’s $238 million Manhattan penthouse as an example of systemic inequity. Bryan Berlin, CC BY-SA 4.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Mamdani Vows Legal Review of Trump’s Threat to Cut NYC Funding

Mamdani also addressed President Donald Trump’s recent warning to cut federal funding to New York City if re-elected, calling it an “attempt at political retribution.” He vowed to “interrogate the legality” of such measures and “use every tool” available—including coordination with the state attorney general and governor—to protect city residents. Bingjiefu He, CC BY-SA 4.0 , via Wikimedia Commons

With Adams Out and Cuomo Trailing, Mamdani Emerges as Frontrunner

With Mayor Eric Adams having exited the race and former Governor Andrew Cuomo trailing in polls, Mamdani remains the clear favorite heading into the November 4 election. Fotografía oficial de la Presidencia de Colombia / Wikimedia