Philanthropist and billionaire heiress Liz Simons, daughter of the late hedge fund magnate James Simons, has become a prominent financial backer of New York City Democratic socialist Zohran Mamdani to the tune of $250,000. Her contributions and the work of her foundation have drawn attention not only for their scale but also for the controversial initiatives they fund, which critics label as deeply “woke.”
Who is Liz Simons
Elizabeth “Liz” Simons is the daughter of Renaissance Technologies founder James Simons, whose estimated fortune reached $31.4 billion before his death. She chairs the board of directors of the Heising-Simons Foundation, an organization she co-founded with her husband, Mark Heising. The foundation funds projects across education, climate change, scientific research, and human rights. Simons herself has become known for backing left-leaning causes and candidates, using her family wealth to shape public debates.
Simons recently donated $250,000 to New Yorkers for Lower Costs, a super PAC supporting Mamdani. This was the largest single donation received by the group, which has raised nearly $2 million from around 300 donors. The PAC operates independently of Mamdani’s campaign, but the contribution underscores how Simons is helping to bankroll the mayoral bid of one of New York City’s most far-left candidates. Mamdani, who describes himself as a Democratic socialist, has called for eliminating billionaires entirely, declaring in one interview, “I don’t think that we should have billionaires because, frankly, it is so much money in a moment of such inequality.”
Funding the Woke Math Course
Beyond politics, the Heising-Simons Foundation has committed $1.7 million since 2023 to the Racial Justice in Early Mathematics Project at the Erikson Institute in Chicago. The project, launched in 2019, is led by Dr. Jennifer McCray and Dr. Danny Bernard Martin. Its stated mission is to address “systemic racial injustices in the math education of young learners.” Supporters say the program encourages difficult conversations about racism while developing classroom practices that “foster racial justice.”
Critics, however, argue that the so-called “woke math” initiative strays far from actual mathematics, replacing traditional problem-solving with social commentary. One observer told the New York Post that it was essentially “aimed at turning children into socialist revolutionaries.” States such as California have embraced the curriculum, while others, including Florida, have flatly rejected it.
Other Woke Causes Supported by Simons
The Heising-Simons Foundation describes its mission broadly: advancing clean energy, funding groundbreaking science, enhancing early education, and supporting human rights. But critics argue the priorities lean heavily toward progressive activism. In addition to the math project, the foundation has poured millions into left-leaning education reform programs and initiatives centered on climate policy and “equity-based” social justice agendas. These efforts are praised by progressives but derided by skeptics who see them as ideological experiments bankrolled by a billionaire.
Simons’ backing of Mamdani has fueled debate, especially given Mamdani’s anti-billionaire stance. For critics, her financial role underscores hypocrisy: a billionaire heiress underwriting a politician who openly calls for the abolition of billionaires. Others see it as a case of wealthy elites trying to reshape public policy to fit their ideological agendas.
Mamdani has been embraced by progressive heavyweights like Bernie Sanders and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, while establishment Democrats such as Senator Chuck Schumer have kept their distance. Within this context, Simons’ donations and her foundation’s funding choices have become a flashpoint, symbolizing the influence of big money behind causes that many consider extreme.
NP Editor: It is important to see what kind of socialist anarchist support Mandami is getting. It is almost like they want NYC to decline and fail.
