New York mayoral candidate Zoran Mamdani has been labeled a hypocrite by Andrew Cuomo for portraying himself as a champion of the working class while owning profitable land in Uganda.
Cuomo remarked, “Being a wealthy landowner involved in foreign investments while also having apartments in an area with one of the toughest housing markets shows a significant contradiction.” Cuomo, who came in second to Mamdani in the race, added, “Mamdani can call himself a champion of the ranks, but it seems more like a role played by a director’s son. Everyday workers don’t typically reside in mansions with armed guards and have homes scattered across the globe; those are the privileges of oligarchs.”
“He is just a kid from a mansion living off his family’s wealth,” Cuomo continued.
The 33-year-old Queens council member, who has advocated for the “abolition of private property,” declared in a recent financial disclosure that he owns vacant land in Jinja, Uganda, valued between $100,000 and $250,000 since 2012.
His parents, Professor Mahmoud Mamdani from Columbia University and filmmaker Mira Nair, known for “Monsoon Wedding,” also possess an impressive five-bedroom, four-bath villa in Uganda.
Recent reports indicated that Mamdani’s parents have been renting out this Ugandan villa on Airbnb for nearly ten years.
The distance between the lives of wealthy real estate owners and everyday individuals is stark. Even with his background, Mamdani faced criticism for living in a rent-stabilized apartment in Queens.
In contrast, Cuomo boasts a net worth of around $10 million.
Mamdani’s campaign did not respond to requests for comment.
