Some of New York’s most powerful billionaires are again lining up behind Andrew Cuomo’s bid to become mayor, with pledges to pump more cash into his campaign and engage in efforts to help Mayor Adams find a lucrative private sector job that might induce him to exit the race for City Hall, the Daily News has learned.
The multi-pronged efforts — which hit a fever pitch this weekend — come as advisers to President Trump have also engaged in talks to offer Adams a job in Trump’s administration, ostensibly to help clear the mayoral field for Cuomo.
On the private sector side, a job at Related Companies, one of the city’s largest real estate developers, has been floated to Adams as an off-ramp for him to drop out, sources familiar with the matter said.
The pushes to get Adams a new job are aimed at maximizing Cuomo’s chances in November’s mayoral election as he faces a polling deficit running as an independent against Democratic nominee Zohran Mamdani, a socialist who has alarmed the business community with proposed tax hikes on the rich.
Cuomo is polling as the most formidable candidate to take on Mamdani in November, but the ex-gov is seen as having a narrower path to victory if Adams stays in, leading to the scramble to try to get him out. A Siena/New York Times poll released Tuesday showed Mamdani would face a much tighter contest were he and Cuomo to face off head-to-head.
On Saturday, Laurie Tisch, a billionaire investor, wrote in an email to friends and associates that she hopes the city’s business communities will do everything in their power to boost Cuomo, who resigned as governor in 2021 amid sexual and professional misconduct accusations he denies.
“There is no more time for delay, discussion, or dithering — we must act decisively to ensure that the mayor of New York City is Andrew Cuomo,” Tisch wrote in the email, a copy of which was obtained by The News.
“We have all spent countless hours debating the possibilities of how this race may play out. But the reality and the poll numbers are clear: The only viable candidate with the experience, support and gravitas to defeat Zohran Mamdani is Governor Andrew Cuomo,” continued Tisch’s email, which invited recepients to a Sept. 24 fundraiser for Cuomo’s campaign at her home that she added the ex-gov is expected to attend. “That is why it is imperative that we come together now, hear directly from Andrew, as he lays out his vision for the final ten weeks of this campaign.”
Jeff Blau, the CEO of Related Companies, followed up on Monday night by sending out a similarly worded email that invited business leaders to an emergency Tuesday morning meeting with Cuomo at the Seagram Building in Manhattan to discuss the mayoral race.
“Sorry for the late notice, but there is no more time for delay, discussion, or dithering — we must act decisively to ensure that the next mayor of New York is Andrew Cuomo,” Blau wrote in the Monday night email, first reported by the New York Times, echoing the language Tisch used.
The email from Blau was also signed by his wife, investor Lisa Blau, Tisch, hedge fund manager Gregg Hymowitz and Aby Rosen, the Seagram Building’s co-owner.
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Jeff Blau, CEO of Related Companies. (Getty)
Blau, whose company holds more than $60 billion in assets across the world, has also been involved in talks to offer Adams a private sector job, according to two sources familiar with the matter.
One of the sources, who like the others spoke on condition of anonymity, told The News that Blau’s push appears centered on offering Adams a job in global security. That source noted such a job would likely come with a salary in the seven figures, far more than what a Trump administration job would pay.
Frank Carone, who’s helping lead Adams’ reelection campaign, didn’t deny conversations about a Related job for Adams are underway, but said he hasn’t been part of any such talks. Asked about the potential Related opportunity, Adams spokesman Todd Shapiro said: “Mayor Adams has a full campaign schedule to continue his bid for election. His motto is stay focused, no distractions and grind.”
A rep for Blau declined to comment.
Asked at an unrelated Monday press conference about Cuomo’s meeting with Blau and other business leaders, Adams said he understands there is concern from corporate communities about what Mamdani “would do to the city.”
“So I don’t blame them for sitting down with Andrew or whomever else,” Adams said.
A Cuomo campaign spokesman said he’s unaware of any talks between Blau and Adams about a job offer.
In her email to friends and associates, Tisch wrote the push to give Cuomo an upper hand must involve efforts to “unite” and “organize.”
“If we fail to mobilize, the financial capital of the world risks being handed over to a socialist this November,” she wrote, referring to Mamdani, who has vowed to raise taxes on corporations and millionaires in order to fund programs like free public buses and subsidized child care.
Barry Williams/ New York Daily News
Zohran Mamdani marches with Senator Bernie Sanders in the New York City Labor Day Parade on Sept. 5. (Barry Williams/ New York Daily News)
Many of the city’s business leaders soured on Cuomo after he lost by more than 12% to Mamdani in June’s Democratic mayoral primary. Some then turned to Adams, who’s also running as an independent in November’s election, seeing him as a potential option.
But the new moves from Blau, Tisch and others indicate at least some in the billionaire class are again coalescing around Cuomo.
Adams — who remains historically unpopular amid continued fallout from his federal corruption indictment — has insisted he’s staying in the mayoral race. Most polls predict Adams would place fourth, behind Mamdani, Cuomo and Republican mayoral nominee Curtis Sliwa, who has also maintained he won’t drop out of the race under any circumstance.
Behind closed doors, the mayor and members of his inner circle have engaged in talks about both private and public sector job opportunities, according to sources familiar with the matter. Last week, Shapiro, his spokesman, confirmed Adams recently sat down with Steve Witkoff, a top Trump adviser, in Florida amid talks for the mayor to potentially accept a role as a U.S. ambassador in Saudi Arabia.
In an appearance on right-wing talk radio host Sid Rosenberg’s show Tuesday, Trump said he hasn’t personally spoken with Adams about a job in his administration. But the president — who claimed credit for having “helped out” Adams by getting his indictment dismissed — acknowledged the incumbent is “polling badly” and that Mamdani can likely only be defeated if Cuomo faces off against him alone.
“If you had two people drop out, could somebody win? The answer is maybe,” Trump said, “but even that’s going to be a little bit of a long shot, I guess, based on the polls.”
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