Scott Galloway Says He Was 'Doxed' After NYC Publishes Public Property Roll Tied To Pied‑à‑Terre Surcharge

New York City’s publication of a searchable property assessment roll has sparked criticism from NYU professor and podcaster Scott Galloway, who said the publicly accessible dataset amounts to "doxing" because it lists owner names and addresses for residences that could be reviewed for a proposed pied‑à‑terre surcharge.

What Was Released

The Department of Finance published an assessment roll that lists roughly 950,000 property records across the city, including owner names, addresses and assessed values. City officials and the mayor’s office say the release was required by state law and is a routine administrative step used to assemble a universe of properties for review. They emphasize that the roll itself does not determine who will owe the surcharge.

Scott Galloway addressed how New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani called to arrest Netanyahu.

Galloway's Reaction

On the "Pivot" podcast, co‑host Scott Galloway said, "I've been doxed," and read a definition of doxing as "publishing private identifying information to expose someone to public pressure or harm without their consent." Co‑host Kara Swisher agreed the release "feels a little bit like doxing," adding, "Just tax them and get on with it." Galloway said he supports progressive taxation in principle but objected to turning the assessment list into what he called a "wanted poster" that implies wrongdoing for many people who will not ultimately owe the surcharge.

"Ninety‑five percent of the people on the list supposedly aren't going to be subject to the tax," Galloway said. "Other than implying these people have done something wrong and publishing their address without their permission, what possible upside is there?"

City Response And Context

Mamdani’s office and other city officials noted that publishing property tax rolls is standard practice in New York and other jurisdictions. They said the recently posted roll reflects all properties and is not a definitive list of pied‑à‑terre targets. The surcharge, as written, would apply only to non‑primary residences valued above $5 million. Officials also pointed out that about 17,000 property owners received letters indicating they may be subject to the surcharge — a much smaller group than the full roll.

Scott Galloway argued that the database goes against the very spirit of New York, where success should be celebrated and "We're not going to put a big R on your door and say you've done something wrong because you're successful."

City officials referenced systems such as ACRIS for searching property records and highlighted statements from Governor Kathy Hochul and media reporting indicating the assessment roll data have been released publicly in the past. They also cited comparable publicly available tax rolls in jurisdictions including Nassau, Buffalo and Rochester.

Industry Reaction

Real Estate Board of New York (REBNY) President James Whelan told reporters the trade group opposed the surcharge in part because identifying qualifying properties is complex. He said apparent inaccuracies in notices raise concerns about the city's readiness to implement the program.

Why It Matters

The dispute highlights tensions between efforts to raise revenue from high‑value second homes and concerns about privacy, public safety and political messaging. Advocates for transparency argue the roll is a necessary administrative tool; critics say releasing owner names and addresses for such a broad dataset risks unnecessary exposure and reputational harm for many people who will not ultimately be taxed.

Sources: Remarks on the "Pivot" podcast; New York Magazine's Intelligencer; Fox News Digital reporting; statements from the NYC Department of Finance and the Mayor's office.