New York City’s democratic socialist mayor’s income has been revealed in his tax filings, which were unusual for the leader of America’s richest metropolitan area and included a bizarre income source.
Zohran Mamdani, 34, took office in January after overwhelmingly defeating his rivals in a race shaped by anger over the spiralling cost of living in the Big Apple.
The newly released filings help explain why his message resonated: in 2025, Mamdani and his wife, Rama Duwaji, 28, reported a combined household income of $145,000.
That total sits only modestly above the local average. City data puts the area’s average income at roughly $129,600. While $145,000 is far higher than the nationwide median of $83,000, SmartAsset estimates New Yorkers must bring in more than $158,954 to live “comfortably”.
The 2025 paperwork shows the vast majority of their earnings came from Mamdani’s City Council salary, with the city paying him $131,926. Duwaji, who works as a graphic designer, reported $8,860 after subtracting $500 in art-supply expenses.
The couple’s finances changed substantially once Mamdani moved into the top job. The mayor’s position pays $258,000 a year and includes residence at Gracie Mansion.
His income is also supplemented—slightly—by an unexpected line item that surfaced after he made the filings public following Wednesday’s deadline: royalties tied to his earlier music work.
Before entering public office, the mayor previously recorded as a rapper under the name “Mr Cardamom”. One of the tracks most associated with that period is “Nani”, a song he dedicated to his grandmother.
Those royalties did not dramatically alter the bottom line in 2025, totaling $1,600. The couple also reported another $1,600 that his spokesperson described as coming from a “mutual fund”.
In addition, Mamdani reported $236 in interest from two accounts, and the report references his prominent family background—his father is a Columbia University professor and his mother is a successful film director.
His office also said he donated to charitable causes over the past year, even though no contributions show up on the return. The explanation offered was that Mamdani used the standard deduction rather than itemizing donations.
Publishing tax returns has become a common transparency measure for New York City mayors and other prominent officials.
The practice also applied to Mamdani’s predecessor, Eric Adams, whose disclosures drew attention after it emerged he had claimed write-offs connected to rat mitigation at a Brooklyn rental property.