Mamdani Prepares to Meet With New York City’s Wary Business Leaders

In the weeks since Zohran Mamdani’s stunning victory in the Democratic mayoral primary, some corporate and finance leaders have predicted an exodus of wealthy investors from New York City. They have called him a Marxist and an out of touch idealist, and have warned of rough times ahead for the city if Mr. Mamdani, a democratic socialist, wins the general election in November.

On Tuesday and Wednesday, leaders on Wall Street and across the business world will have an opportunity to confront Mr. Mamdani directly in meetings with the Partnership for New York City, a consortium of 350 members representing banks, law firms and corporations.

The meetings were requested by Mr. Mamdani, a Queens assemblyman who says he wants to work with the business community. Mr. Mamdani has recently moderated some of his stances that have generated the most controversy as he shifts his focus to the general election. Tuesday’s meeting will take place behind closed doors with no news media present, and more than 100 executives are expected to attend.

The Partnership’s board is a who’s who of powerful business leaders including Henry Kravis of KKR, Rob Speyer of Tishman Speyer and J.P. Morgan’s chief executive, Jamie Dimon, who last week publicly criticized Democrats for “falling all over themselves” to support Mr. Mamdani’s policies including city-run grocery stores and a rent freeze on rent-stabilized apartments. “There’s the same ideological mush that means nothing in the real world,” Mr. Dimon said at an event in Europe.

But as much as corporate leaders express reservations about Mr. Mamdani’s left-leaning policies, some of them are taking a pragmatic approach to the upstart candidate, who is leading in polls.

Kathryn Wylde, the Partnership’s chief executive who had a frosty relationship with the city’s last progressive mayor, Bill de Blasio, has been open to working with Mr. Mamdani.