Howdy, pardner!
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott is welcoming Big Apple companies relocating or expanding in the Lone Star State after New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani demonized billionaire hedge-fund honcho Ken Griffin for being rich.
“Governor Abbott is proud to welcome businesses and job creators from across the country to Texas, where we have no state income tax, reasonable regulations, and a pro-growth environment that encourages free enterprise to flourish,” Abbott’s spokesman, Andrew Mahaleris, told The Post.
“Punitive policies that target successful job-creating entrepreneurs only accelerate the trend of companies choosing Texas,” Mahaleris said.
Texas has already surpassed the Empire State when it comes to financial sector employment, with a total of 519,000 employees compared with New York’s 507,000, according to data from the nonprofit Partnership for New York City.
JPMorgan Chase now has more employees in Texas than in New York — where the Big Apple is at risk of losing its crown as the center of the global financial industry.
While welcoming New York CEOs and jobs, Abbott bused more than 100,000 migrants to the Big Apple and other sanctuary cities in the lefty state during the worst of the country’s border crisis. He complained Texas border towns were overwhelmed and that sanctuary cities run by Democrats were failing to help address the problem.
The loss of Wall Street business could deal a major blow to New York City’s finances, which are buoyed by taxes on bonuses from the sector.
Democratic socialist Mamdani triggered a backlash from Wall Street and business advocates when he used Griffin’s swanky $238 million Midtown penthouse as a backdrop in one of his trademark slick social-media videos to promote a new pied-a-terre tax — a stunt that the hedge-fund titan called “creepy.”
In a one-two punch, Griffin as well as Apollo Global Management honcho Marc Rowan threatened to expand outside New York City — while a silent wave of businesses have been “quiet quitting” the city over its hostile environment, insiders told The Post last week.
A White House adviser said Mamdani’s anti-corporate, anti-rich CEO rhetoric is a gift that could help Republicans retain the White House in 2028 after President Trump leaves office.
“Don’t interrupt your enemy when he’s making a mistake,” the White House insider told The Post.
“People in New York are looking at real estate in Dallas and Miami,” said the GOP source with ties to New York.
Democratic ex-Gov. David Paterson, meanwhile, ripped Mamdani for demonizing wealthy job creators and said he wants to help the business community fight back and not cower to Mamdani by skedaddling.
“[Mamdani] comes from a household of poor judgement,” Paterson told The Post on Sunday.
“I made a list of people I know — 13 of them were Democrats and six were Republicans — who would sit down and just have a conversation about where this city is going and not to let it get destroyed by the leadership and also not to let it falter, because the resources that have kept the city alive are thinking about moving to other places,” Paterson added to WABC radio’s the “Cats Roundtable.”
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Paterson said New York is a rough place and that business and civic leaders must toughen up and form a united front to defend the tax generators and job producers.
“This is a great city,” Paterson told host John Catsimatidis. “We’ve been through some really difficult times in this city. I think this is the time when leadership stands up and shows how well they can lead.
“I certainly understand how Ken Griffin feels … Mamdani taking pictures and basically humiliating himself right in front of Mr. Griffin‘s home.”
Paterson said Mamdani and many of his Democratic socialist supporters despise wealthy and successful people.
“They’re jealous and envious of what [other people] have. That is a terrible way to live your life,” he said.
“It’s a reflection of the lack of appreciation for what this city is about and what people had to do to make it that way. … Making comments that no one should ever be a billionaire — all that does is foment anger, and the people who it’s directed at now are threatening to protect themselves by leaving. I’m hoping they won’t do that.”
Mamdani’s office did not respond to a Post request for comment.
