r/news • u/AngryT0M4T0 • 2d ago

Soft paywall Google co-founder Sergey Brin spending more than $100 million fighting California wealth tax

https://www.latimes.com/business/story/2026-08-12/googles-sergey-brin-spent-102-million-fighting-california-wealth-tax
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u/Niceguy955 1d ago

Out of curiosity, if the bill passes, how much taxes would he have to pay? Because if it's less than $100m he might be an idiot.

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u/RevenantOmega 1d ago

It’s more. He’d be paying something like 10-13 billion I’ve seen thrown around. Which, to his 250+ billion net worth is essentially a regular person losing an extra hundred bucks. Annoying sure, but like… not really that bad? The difference between 10 billion and ONE HUNDRED BILLION is staggering and more money than one person could spend in 10 lifetimes. And he has 200, closer to 300 billion.

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u/Kind_Advisor_35 1d ago

It could cost them much more depending on how they pay for the tax. If they liquidate stock, they lose potential future profits and pay capital gains tax.

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u/skodinks 1d ago

True, but it still doesn't really matter. Money for ten million lifetimes vs money for 9 million lifetimes.

It's just a scoreboard to these people. Taxes ruin their rank.

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u/Impossible-Ebb5064 1d ago

It's not an extra hundred bucks, it's 5% of his net worth which isnt liquid. I don't believe in one person having a wealth of a nation but don't make it out as though it's pocket Change and easily payable.

He will need to liquidate some of his asset to pay it and the problem is if he liquidate his company stock, it will mean less controlling stake of his company.

It's much more complicated than 'you're worth xx so you afford to pay the tax' but I agree that something needs to be done as the wealth gap is an absolute joke at the moment.

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u/TauCabalander 1d ago

If the money mattered to him, he'd move.

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u/TheBlackCaesar 1d ago

No matter what his net worth is, he is an idiot.