Zohran Mamdani fires back after Jeff Bezos says doubling billionaire’s taxes won’t help Queens teachers | Today’s news
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani hit back at Jeff Bezos on Wednesday after the Amazon founder and executive chairman questioned whether raising taxes on billionaires would help working-class New Yorkers.
“You could double the taxes that I pay and it won’t help that teacher in Queens. I promise you,” Bezos said in an interview with CNBC on Wednesday.
Mamdani responded to X, “I know a few teachers in Queens who would beg to differ.”
Meanwhile, Bezos pushed for tax cuts for low-income Americans.
He called for eliminating federal income taxes on the bottom half of earners, telling CNBC’s Andrew Ross Sorkin on Squawk Box that the top 1% of taxpayers pay about 40% of all tax revenue, while the bottom half pays 3%.
“I don’t think it should be 3%,” Bezos said. “I think it should be zero.
Bezos also said that raising taxes on billionaires would not materially improve the lives of working-class residents, arguing instead that lower-income Americans should keep more of their earnings.
The comments come as the debate over wealth taxes and public spending continues to heat up in the United States, particularly in New York, where some leaders are increasingly pushing for higher taxes on wealthy individuals and luxury assets.
Earlier this week, Bezos publicly supported Mamdani’s proposed “pied-à-terre” tax on luxury second homes worth more than $5 million. The proposal is aimed at taxing wealthy homeowners who maintain expensive secondary residences in New York.
Mamdani’s second-home luxury tax proposal gains support from Bezos
Bezos has previously supported the proposal while criticizing Mamdani for singling out billionaire hedge fund manager Ken Griffin during the tax debate.
During an interview with CNBC, Bezos also defended wealthy taxpayers, arguing that those with the highest incomes already contribute a substantial portion of total federal tax revenue in the United States.
The exchange between Bezos and Mamdani quickly gained traction online, with supporters on both sides debating whether taxing billionaires more aggressively would help solve the affordability problems facing middle- and lower-income Americans.
Bezos has been increasingly outspoken about taxation and economic policy in recent months, especially as discussions of wealth inequality continue to dominate the political conversation in the US. Meanwhile, Mamdani remained a prominent supporter of progressive tax reforms to fund public programs and affordability measures.
The latest remarks add to a growing public debate among billionaires, politicians and political leaders about how governments should balance taxation, public spending and economic inequality.
