Who is Whitney Tilson and why does he want to be mayor?

I’ve been fighting and advocating for working class people my entire adult life.”

Whitney Tilson, mayoral candidate

Mention the name Whitney Tilson and for many, it doesn’t ring a bell, which is why the mayoral candidate sees himself as a “dark horse” for the upcoming election. 

Tilson, 58, is a lifelong Democrat and despite his lack of experience in politics, he’s confident he can make changes to put the city back in the right direction.

“I specialize in betting on turnaround,” Tilson said in an interview with The Press.

Having been a former hedge fund manager of Kase Capital Management for nearly two decades, as well as an author, advocate and philanthropist, Tilson believes this work will help him win the election.

If elected, Tilson plans to focus on providing safe, quality, affordable housing for all residents, making shelter more available for the unhoused, reducing the city’s spending and improving the quality of the city’s public schools.

Tilson highlighted there are currently 50,000 rent-stabilized apartments throughout the five boroughs which are padlocked, which he said is the result of the city’s misguided legislation.

Tilson said he spoke with several people who work in real estate who told him these apartments are off the market because of an unintended consequence of the Housing Stability & Tenant Protection Act of 2019, which forbids the owners of rent-stabilized apartments from investing in them and raising rents to recoup their investment. 

“All New Yorkers should have the same opportunity to be able to live a life of quality, raise a family and pass that wealth and prosperity on to the next generation,” Tilson said.

He promised to reduce six major felonies in New York – murder, rape, robbery, assault, burglary and grand larceny.

“I will cut crime by 50 percent in my first term by investing in the communities in which most crimes occur,” Tilson said. 

He is also intent on mandating shelter for the city’s homeless population, which would prohibit the unhoused from sleeping outdoors, along with providing more long-term psychiatric beds citywide for individuals living with mental illness.

“People sleep on our city streets every night, but that should not be the case,” Tilson said. “When we see people sleeping in our parks and on our subways, it affects everybody’s quality of life.”

The Press asked Tilson about men’s shelters that admit clients without conducting background checks, including criminal records, sex offender status or mental impairment, like the men’s shelter currently underway at 6661 Broadway.

“It’s a very legit concern,” Tilson said. “There are some networks who do a good job and some who do a poor job and we need to improve the city’s shelter system so these facilities operate properly and don’t pose as disruptive to the community.”

When asked about the ongoing rash of stolen car parts and broken windows in the Riverdale neighborhood, Tilson pointed to the number of NYPD officers being at a 34-year low, and as a possible reason for the increase in car and property theft.

“Part of the issue is . . . cops need the proof and they don’t always have it.”

The NYPD is understaffed by thousands, and officers are leaving by the hundreds every month, according to the NYC Police Benevolent Association. They say long-term solutions are needed.

The Press asked Tilson about his work as a hedge fund manager and that everyday workers and voters might view him as someone who doesn’t have the interests of the working-class at heart.

“I’ve been fighting and advocating for working-class people my entire adult life,” Tilson said.

Background

Tilson was born in New Haven, Connecticut. His parents were both members of the Peace Corps and taught international education in several countries.  They are now retired and currently live in Kenya.

Due to his parent’s global volunteer work, Tilson lived in both Tanzania and Nicaragua for the first six years of his life, spending three years in each. He also spent time living in Palo Alto, California before coming back to the East Coast.

After graduating from Northfield Mount Hermon School, a college-preparatory school in Massachusetts, he graduated magna cum laude from Harvard University in 1989 with a bachelor’s degree in government. He also earned an MBA with high distinction from Harvard Business School in 1994 where he was named a Baker Scholar, before beginning his investment career in the late 1990s.

Tilson, who has lived on the Upper East Side of Manhattan for the past 30 years, has worked at investment-based publishing company Stansberry Research since 2019.

He was featured on 60 Minutes on two occasions, including in 2008 to talk about the housing crisis and later won an Emmy for his appearance on the show.

At Kase Capital Management, Tilson managed three value-oriented hedge funds and two mutual funds which grew assets of more than $200 million, according to Tilson’s biography on the Stansberry Research website.

In addition, Tilson authored or co-authored multiple books, including “More Mortgage Meltdown: 6 Ways to Profit in These Bad Times” with Glenn Tongue in 2009.

He also co-founded Teach For America, a non-profit organization in New York which aims to “grow and strengthen the movement for educational equity and excellence.” 

“I’m in my own lane and it’s a different lane,” Tilson said. “I’m not a career politician — but I’ve been one to advocate for others.”

Other candidates running for mayor against incumbent Eric Adams include current city comptroller Brad Lander, state senator Jessica Ramos, state senator Zellnor Myrie, Assemblyman Zohran Mamdani, former city comptroller Scott Stringer, former Assemblyman Michael Blake and lawyer Jim Walden.

“I will hire honest and competent people in my administration and we will be the most transparent administration in the history of New York City,” Tilson said at a recent press conference which he held in front of City Hall following his announcement to run for mayor in November.

After U.S. Deputy Attorney General Emil Bove ordered federal prosecutors in New York to dropcorruption charges against Adams on Feb. 10, Tilson released a statement where he described Adams as “corrupt” and “an embarrassment” to the city who should be “sleeping in a jail cell.”  

“New York deserves better,” Tilson added.

The 2025 New York City mayoral election will take place on Nov. 4.