Fact Check: Are Zohran Mamdani's grocery stores paying his wife $400,000 a year?

NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK: Amid the debates surrounding New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s grocery stores plan, a social media post is gaining traction online claiming that the mayor’s grocery stores will pay $400,000 of taxpayers’ money to his wife, Rama Duwaji. The claim has intensified debates against the grocery stores plan, prompting a fact-check.

Claim: Zohran Mamdani's grocery stores initiative includes $400,000 to his wife

According to a viral post on X, when Mamdani announced his new socialist grocery stores, he somehow forgot to mention one detail: that his wife will pocket $400,000 a year in taxpayer cash, mocking the First Lady as the project’s “official spokesmodel.” 

The post goes on to criticize Mamdani, portraying the alleged development as an example of political hypocrisy and alleged self-enrichment. It also mocks the administration, its supporters, and the place it governs. 

The post has garnered more than a hundred thousand views as of this writing, with the comments indicating that many believe the claim to be true.

Fact Check: False, no credible evidence to support the claim

The claim, however, is false, as there are no credible reports that suggest $400,000 of taxpayers’ money went to the city’s First Lady.

There are no publicly available reports, data, or statements that support the claim, which, if true, would have been widely covered by prominent news media outlets, sparking controversy and debates. Additionally, a search on Google for the claim yielded no such media reports.

The account that posted the claim is not a credible source, and though not explicitly a parody account, it has posted several such fake and exaggerated claims for the sake of engagement. 

A fact-check by Grok stated, “Mayor Zohran Mamdani did announce municipal grocery stores in late July 2026, with plans for 30% discounts on staples. However, the claim that his wife, Rama Duwaji, receives $400,000 a year in taxpayer money as the project's "official spokesmodel" is false. No such contract exists.”

Zohran Mamdani announces municipal grocery store plan

The post appeared after Mamdani, Deputy Mayor for Economic Justice Julie Su, and the New York City Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC) announced that prices at five new municipal grocery stores would be about 30% lower for a basket of everyday essentials. 

The discounted basket will include fresh produce, meat, seafood, dairy products, pantry staples, and other refrigerated items. The lower prices will be available to all shoppers, regardless of income, and will stay the same instead of changing every week.

City officials estimate the initiative will reduce the average New Yorker's grocery bill by about 15%, saving households around $90 a month, or roughly $1,000 a year.