United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby is calling for a national wealth tax and inheritance taxes approaching 100% for certain estates, arguing that growing wealth inequality poses a threat to American society.
Kirby, who took home about $32.3 million in total compensation in fiscal year 2025, made the remarks when asked about declining public trust in corporate executives during an interview with The New York Times.
“Wealth inequality has become a danger to our society, and we need to address that,” Kirby told the outlet in an interview published Sunday.
The airline executive argued that a wealth tax would need to be implemented nationwide rather than at the state level to prevent wealthy Americans from relocating to avoid paying it.
“We should have a national wealth tax — it won’t work by state because people will just move,” Kirby told the outlet. “And I think we should have inheritance taxes that get close to 100 percent at some level. I would pay them.”
Kirby did not specify what wealth threshold would trigger the proposed inheritance tax or what rate he would support for a national wealth tax in the remarks cited.
His comments come as proposals to increase taxes on wealthy Americans continue to generate debate over their potential effects on investment, economic growth and government revenue.
A federal wealth tax would differ from existing income and estate taxes by targeting the value of an individual’s assets rather than solely income or wealth transferred after death.
Kirby’s proposal would also represent a significant departure from the current federal estate tax system, which imposes a top marginal rate of 40% on taxable estates above applicable exemptions. The federal estate tax has a basic exemption of $15 million per individual in 2026, according to the IRS.
The United CEO also discussed airline pricing during the Times interview, defending the practice of charging passengers more for certain seating options after being asked about the cost for travelers without frequent-flier status to avoid middle seats.
“There are some customers who want to sit in a window seat or a better seat, and that costs money to deliver,” Kirby said, according to the Times.
He said charging passengers for the services and products they choose allows airlines to serve customers with different preferences.
Despite his concerns about wealth inequality, Kirby expressed optimism about the broader US economy, telling the newspaper that he believes the country’s future is “incredibly bright.”
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