Multiple millionaires and uber-rich from the US and six other countries have asked their governments to tax them profoundly to help with the Coronavirus aid. Calling themselves the Millionaires for Humanity, they asked their government for one thing -“Tax us. Tax us. Tax us.”
Over 80 wealthy individuals, including Abigail Disney (1), Walt Disney Co. heiress, Morris Pearl, former managing director at BlackRock Inc., and Djaffar Shalchi, a Danish-Iranian entrepreneur, are petitioning for higher taxes on the rich to assist paying for billions in the new government programs made necessary by the pandemic.
The open letter stated that all the undersigned millionaires and billionaires had asked their governments to raise taxes on people with the financial priveledges as them.
“We are not restocking grocery store shelves or delivering food door to door. But we do have money, lots of it. Money that is desperately needed now,” according to the open letter.
A progressive taxing system
A group of 200 or so uber-rich individuals that call themselves the Patriotic Millionaires, including Disney and Pearl, have been pressing the government to build a more progressive tax system, even before the pandemic shook the public finances.
Some of these millionaires who signed up for the high taxes request from the government did so as they felt guilty about being so rich when they were ‘born on third base.’ Others feel a sense of community by being a part of the group, and some, hailing from renowned families like that of Disney, stand out for their family name and advocacy.
California-based member Karen Seal Stewart said during an interview earlier, “There are 10 to 12 million millionaires in this country, & there are only 200 of us, so what difference can we make?”
As Uncle Ben told Peter Parker, “With great power comes great responsibility.”
