Tech Billionaires Fight California Tax Despite Using Public Money

California wants to create a special tax just for billionaires (people with over $1 billion in wealth), but tech leaders are fighting back hard.

Google co-founder Sergey Brin recently compared this proposed tax to Soviet socialism, saying he fled that system in 1979. However, critics point out that even with this tax, Brin would still be among the world's richest people.

The irony? Silicon Valley was built using taxpayer money and continues to benefit from public services:

• CalFire protects tech billionaires' homes from wildfires • State scientists keep Lake Tahoe's water clean (where Brin owns a $42 million home) • Public agencies rescue wildlife and regulate organic food • All funded by regular Californians' taxes

Author Paulina Borsook wrote about this "I got mine, so screw you" attitude in her 2000 book "Cyberselfish." She argues that tech billionaires have an extreme libertarian mindset (believing government should barely exist) despite benefiting enormously from government programs.

The proposed billionaire tax would be a one-time payment from California's ultra-wealthy residents. Supporters say it would help fund essential services that everyone uses - including the billionaires themselves. Critics like Brin claim it would turn California into a socialist state.

The key question: Why do tech billionaires oppose paying taxes that support the very infrastructure and services that helped make them rich? The debate highlights growing tensions between California's ultra-wealthy tech elite and everyone else.

This is an AI-generated summary. Read the original article at: https://www.marketwatch.com/story/big-tech-hates-californias-billionaire-tax-but-loves-taxpayers-money-c143ecac?mod=mw_rss_topstories