Earlier this week, news surfaced that billionaire investor Stephen Ross is a big ol' Trump supporter. He's hosting a $100,000-a-head fundraiser at his Hampton's home. And now, pissed off Americans are boycotting the wildly popular companies he's tied to.
Though cult-favorite fitness brands like SoulCycle and Equinox have taken the brunt of the hit thus far, Ross also backs some of our most buzzed about eateries (he also owns the Miami Dolphins). David Chang's Momofuku empire, Milk Bar, Bluestone Lane, and New York City's $25 billion Hudson Yards development were all funded by the guy. It's safe to say the restaurant industry is sweating.
And while Ross has contributed a whole bunch to these ventures, it doesn't mean their key players have cowered back from a little (or a lot) of criticism. "I personally am a staunch opponent to President Trump and everything he stands for," Chang said during a recent podcast. "I fucking hate him. Anyone that normalizes gun violence, white supremacy, putting kids into cages, his general lack of decency and respect for anyone else—he is destroying our democratic norms. I cannot stand behind him."
Not standing stand behind Trump also means he won't stand behind Ross. "No one is more fucking pissed off than me," he said of the news, adding that he has "always worked to champion a safe, open, diverse, equitable, and inclusive world at Momofuku" and promises to "double down" on that commitment."
He then addressed Ross directly. "I respect and admire you as a businessman," he said. "You have been a champion of all the values of Momofuku. You've done a great deal for us as a company, and I truly appreciate it." But then there's the but. "I'm imploring you to reconsider hosting this fundraiser. It flies in the face of everything we believe at Momofuku. It frightens many of the people that work for you, and it contradicts what I hoped to accomplish before taking your money in the first place.
Others have disavowed Ross, too. José Andrés called on him to cancel his fundraiser, adding, "don't support a candidate whose goal is to drive my beloved USA apart!" While Milk Bar owner Christina Tosi released her own statement saying her bakery is "in no way affiliated" with Ross's fundraiser and that she does not personally support the Trump administration.
