United CEO Kirby backs wealth tax, drawing criticism ahead of California billionaire tax vote

United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby said in a New York Times interview that the country should adopt a national wealth tax and inheritance taxes near 100 percent, and that he would pay them. He said wealth inequality is a danger to society and that a state-level wealth tax would fail because people would move. Kirby's total compensation of about $32.3 million in fiscal 2025 drew attention, and Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry called the remarks audacious. The reaction came two weeks before California voters decide Proposition 40, a one-time 5% tax on billionaires' wealth that supporters say could raise up to $100 billion.

Left-leaning coverage, led by The Guardian, centers on the conservative backlash, citing Landry's comments and a boycott call by Glenn Beck. Alternative coverage, led by Democracy Now!, shifts to Proposition 40, featuring supporters Lorena Gonzalez and Ro Khanna and Khanna's criticism of Democratic leaders. Right-leaning coverage, led by Fox Business, focuses on criticism from Dagen McDowell and Justice Department official Harmeet Dhillon, who mocked United's WiFi, and stresses double taxation and the airline's elite status pricing. All three agree on Kirby's remarks and his pay.