Illinois Democratic Governor JB Pritzker lambasted Zohran Mamdani on Sunday over the New York City Mayoral candidate’s belief that billionaires shouldn’t exist.
“Look, how much money you have doesn’t determine what your values are,” Pritzker said on NBC’s “Meet the Press.”
“It does not matter what your income level is. What matters is what your values are. And that’s what makes me a Democrat,” Pritzker said.
In June, Mamdani said that billionaires should not exist, citing growing inequality as a key issue. “I don’t think that we should have billionaires because, frankly, it is so much money in a moment of such inequality,” the New York State Assemblyman and presumptive Democratic nominee for New York City mayor said on “Meet the Press.” Mamdani added that as mayor, he would work with all New Yorkers, including billionaires, to build a fairer city. (RELATED: Zohran Mamdani Ducks And Weaves When Asked To Condemn Term Calling For Killing Jews)
In that same interview, Mamdani talked about one of his proposals that targets neighborhoods currently under-taxed compared to others, aiming to create a more equitable tax structure. He said this assessment is based on economic data and not motivated by racial considerations — even though these neighborhoods are described on his campaign website as “richer and whiter” areas.
Pritzker has a net worth of about $3.6 billion, according to Forbes. For decades, the Pritzker family has been on Forbes’ “America’s Richest Families.”
Pritzker is an heir to the Hyatt hotel fortune. His late uncle, Jay, founded the hotel chain. He also made his fortune from other investments, such as the Pritzker Group.
