Original Authors: Nicholas Fandos, Debra Kamin
Translated by: Chopper, Foresight News
Two weeks ago, Eric Adams still held one of the most powerful positions in the U.S. government; now, he stands beneath the towering neon billboards of Times Square, hawking a cryptocurrency themed around New York City.
For someone else, such a change in status might be embarrassing, but this former mayor of New York remained smiling throughout, enthusiastically discussing the advantages of blockchain technology and even promising not to make any profits from it at present.
"I've missed all of you dearly, ladies and gentlemen," he said to a group of reporters, before shifting his tone to criticize the "major mistakes" made by his successor, discussing business opportunities in various foreign capitals, and openly admitting that his experience in municipal services such as garbage collection had now become marketable "professional capital."
This was his first public appearance since stepping down on January 1st, but it was cut short because he had to catch a flight. He will first fly to Dallas and then proceed to Senegal, where he said there are more opportunities waiting for him.
Adams, 65, is the most unconventional mayor in New York City's history: a working-class native who once served as a police officer, he was federally prosecuted for his pursuit of a luxurious lifestyle. Yet, all signs suggest that his post-mayoral career will continue to follow this pattern of "unconventional" behavior.
In the past two weeks, he met with a Saudi prince in Dubai, visited the president of the Democratic Republic of Congo, and repeatedly criticized his successor, Zohran Mamdani, for reversing some of the pro-Israel policies introduced during his tenure. These actions have broken the unspoken tradition of outgoing mayors showing respect to their successors.
Many details of Adams's business transactions remain shrouded in mystery, including his role as a partner in cryptocurrency projects. However, his core objectives after leaving office have become increasingly clear: restoring his personal reputation, criticizing his successor, and repaying the substantial debts incurred from legal lawsuits. As for the priority among these three goals, there is currently no definitive answer.
"I won't work a nine-to-five salaried job anymore," Adams said. "I only work for myself."
Adams is not the only one planning for life after leaving office, while also targeting Mamdani. Former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo is finalizing a deal to host a weekly program on the conservative talk radio station WABC. During his unsuccessful campaign, he was a regular guest on this same station.
According to the New York Post, the show will provide Cuomo with a consistent platform to promote his centrist Democratic political views, and he is expected to take the opportunity to criticize Mamdani, whom Cuomo previously called a "far-left radical."
The owner of the station, Republican billionaire John Catsimatidis, said he has no intention of paying Cuomo a salary, but simply wants to help him stay in the public eye after his election loss. The two sides have yet to finalize the schedule for the program. "We feel sorry for what he's going through, and we love New York very much," Catsimatidis said. "He wants to remain visible and stay connected with the people of New York."
But so far, Adams' post-resignation behavior has certainly drawn even more attention.
Hours after attending Mamdani's inauguration, he boarded an Emirates flight to Dubai with his long-term partner, Tracey Collins. In addition to the Saudi prince, he was also photographed meeting with several wealthy Israeli and Uzbek businessmen.
Many new and veteran political figures attended Zohran Mamdani's mayoral inauguration, including Adams.
He had dinner with real estate agent and reality TV star Eleonora Srugo and also took a photo with Amir Marashi, posting it on social media. Marashi, who was born in Iran, is a gynecologist in New York and an advocate for women's health, specializing in vaginal rejuvenation procedures.
At the same time, Adams has been closely monitoring developments in New York City. He frequently posts on social media, expressing his dissatisfaction with Mamdani's governance, such as Mamdani overturning the expanded definition of antisemitism previously adopted by New York City, as well as raising questions about some of his personnel appointments.
"Everyone needs a grace period, but hatred allows no one such leniency," Adams said at the event on Monday.
Meanwhile, Mamdani refused to respond to Adams's criticisms at another event.
Adams' interest in cryptocurrency is not a recent development. During his tenure as mayor, he chose to receive his first paycheck in the form of cryptocurrency. He is also close friends with Brock Pierce, a billionaire in the cryptocurrency industry. Last autumn, before Pierce decided to drop out of the mayoral re-election race, cryptocurrency industry figures, including Pierce, provided financial support for his campaign.
During his tenure, Adams has made "supporting Israel and combating anti-Semitism" a core part of his policies. This time, he has also packaged this new token as a public welfare project, claiming its proceeds will be used to combat anti-Semitism and anti-American sentiment, as well as "teaching children to embrace blockchain technology."
The official website of the token indicates that a total of 1 billion tokens will be issued. Adams stated that he would donate part of the token's revenue to non-profit organizations dedicated to the aforementioned causes, and added that he would not take a salary or any compensation at least in the initial stage.
"The NYC Token is a new generation of cryptocurrency, inspired by New York City's ceaseless energy and spirit of innovation," the project's official website states. "We are building a decentralized financial ecosystem based on cutting-edge blockchain technology, with ambitions that are no different from those of the city itself."
Nevertheless, Adams struggled to articulate the project's details on multiple occasions. During Monday's event and in an exclusive interview with Fox News, he repeatedly referred to the new product incorrectly as the "New York City Coin."
The token's official website prominently displays an image of Adams and invites visitors to "Buy Now," but as of late Monday, all purchase links on the website were inaccessible.
The former mayor said he is also exploring other business areas, and his trip to Africa this week will also advance the related plans.
"I realized that many services New York City has, even something like garbage collection, are hard to find in many parts of the world," said Adams. "I plan to offer this kind of assistance to other cities and countries."
All these actions have inevitably led people to question whether Adams will continue to reside in New York in the future. Previously, he had expressed a desire to retire in a city overseas, rather than returning to his home in Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn.
However, two informed sources revealed that the former mayor plans to still use New York City as his base and intends to rent an apartment in Manhattan, preferably one with a view. Adams himself tried to allay concerns during an event on Monday. "I'm not going anywhere," he said.