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For the first time in the history of the United States, billionaires had a lower effective tax rate than working-class Americans. Opinion Guest Essay Make Billionaires Pay (Their Taxes)Until recently, it was hard to know just how good the superrich are at avoiding taxes. Let’s agree that billionaires should pay income taxes equivalent to a small portion — say, 2 percent — of their wealth each year. Billionaires who already pay the baseline amount of income tax would have no extra tax to pay. The idea that billionaires should pay a minimum amount of income tax is not a radical idea.

Persons: Emmanuel Saez, Gabriel Zucman, we’ve, Demetrio Guzzardi, Jeff Bezos, Bezos, Berkshire Hathaway, Warren Buffett, Elon Musk, Bernard Arnault, Arnault’s, Arnault, Reagan, Critics, haven’t, Biden Organizations: Government, Social Security, European Economic Association, Institut des Politiques, Economic, Amazon, Elon, Twitter, Shepard, Getty, Trump, Internal, Abaca, New York, Facebook Locations: United States, Netherlands, States Netherlands Italy France, Italy, France, Tesla, LVMH, America, Europe, Sweden, Germany, Switzerland, U.S, Brazil, South Africa, Spain

☆ Alaska, Delaware, and West Virginia are the only states that still don't have a single billionaire resident
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-03 | by ( Grace Dean | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Alaska, Delaware, and West Virginia aren't home to any billionaires, Forbes reported. AdvertisementAlaska, Delaware, and West Virginia are the only states that still don't have a single billionaire resident, according to a new report by Forbes. Forbes estimates that the West Virginia resident, who's also the president of Marshall University, was worth about $900 million as of March. AdvertisementTo be clear, Alaska, Delaware, and West Virginia are among the least-populated states in the US. According to Census Bureau estimates for 2023, Alaska was the fourth-smallest state or district in the US by population, Delaware was seventh-smallest, and West Virginia was 13th-smallest.

Persons: Forbes, —, Elon Musk, Mark Zuckerberg, Michael Bloomberg, Brad Smith —, who's, Elizabeth Snyder, Jonathan Rubini, Leonard Hyde, Hyde Organizations: Service, Forbes, New, Henley & Partners, Microsoft, Marshall University, Properties, Wall, Henley, Partners Locations: Alaska, Delaware, West Virginia, California, Alaska , Delaware, Texas, New York, Tex, Florida, . California, Austin, Scottsdale , Arizona, Palm Beach , Florida

☆ Joseph Stiglitz on why America's appetite for Trump endures
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-01 | by ( William Edwards | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +12 min

If Trump is elected again, Stiglitz said, he could well pull support for Ukraine, sending grain prices soaring. For Stiglitz, the 2001 winner of the Nobel Prize in economics, America's appetite for Trump can be traced back a little more than four decades ago to the election of Ronald Reagan. "We've had 40 years of a neoliberal experiment: Strip away the regulations and lower the taxes — taxes are much lower than they used to be. But Komlos and Stiglitz don't place blame solely on Reagan for the growing economic inequality. Every European country that's had a wealth tax has walked away from it, by and large."

Persons: Donald Trump, Joseph Stiglitz, Trump, Stiglitz, Joe Biden, Ronald Reagan, —, that's, Reagan, We've, Dina Litovsky, Friedrich Hayek, Milton Friedman, That's, Stiglitz doesn't, John Komlos, Komlos, Joe, Bill Clinton, Clinton, Barack Obama, insurrectionists, Desmond Lachman, Carter, Douglas Holtz, Eakin, George W, John McCain's, Holtz, America Stiglitz, Hayek, Friedman, Claudia Sahm, you've, what's Organizations: Columbia Business School, Business, Capitol, Biden, Trump, :, Good Society, America's, Federal Reserve, Budget, Bank, University of Munich, Duke University, University of North, Democratic, North American Free Trade, World Trade Organization, American Enterprise Institute, Bush's, Economic Advisers Locations: Manhattan, Ukraine, Russia, China, Beijing, Taiwan, University of North Carolina, Spain, America

☆ Celebrity Bag Designer Sentenced to Jail for Smuggling Exotic Skins
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-23 | by ( Elizabeth Paton | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The handbag designer Nancy Gonzalez built a cult following among celebrities and the South American superrich thanks to her use of brilliantly dyed precious skins. Now Ms. Gonzalez, 71, is facing considerable time in bright orange coveralls. On Monday, she was sentenced to 18 months in prison after pleading guilty in a Miami federal court to charges of smuggling hundreds of handbags made from the skins of protected wildlife into the United States from her native Colombia. Prosecutors said that the handbags and purses, made from the hides of caiman alligators and pythons bred in captivity, were worth as much as $2 million. The designer’s lawyers said that the pieces were mostly samples and cost about $140 each, with only about 1 percent lacking the proper authorization to be brought into the United States.

Persons: Nancy Gonzalez, Bergdorf Goodman, Gonzalez, Nancy Tereza Gonzalez de Barberi Organizations: Saks, Gzuniga, New York, Prosecutors Locations: Miami, United States, Colombia, Cali , Colombia

☆ Boeing's fleet of 8 corporate jets spent some 4,500 hours in the sky flying company executives last year, data shows
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-17 | by ( Taylor Rains | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Boeing's corporate planes collectively flew about 4,500 hours across some 1,800 flights last year, according to data from the aviation-tracking website JetSpy. Jet Edge InternationalThe fleet's top airports include Chicago International Airport, Washington Dulles International Airport, and Boeing Field King County International Airport — all located near Boeing's corporate offices and factories. AdvertisementThe locations of Boeing's corporate fleet on April 12, according to JetSpy data. For instance, JetSpy data shows aerospace company Lockheed Martin collectively flew its five private jets for about 2,700 hours in 2023. AdvertisementBoeing wrote in the filing that its CEO "is required to use company aircraft for all business and personal travel for security reasons."

Persons: —, Dave Calhoun, Calhoun, Brian West, Lockheed Martin, Taylor Swift, Elon Musk, Max, messier Organizations: Service, Business, Boeing Business Jets, Canadian, Bombardier, Challenger, Jet Edge, Chicago International Airport, Washington, International Airport, Boeing Field King County International, Airport, Lebanon Municipal Airport, Wall Street Journal, Boeing, Lockheed, PepsiCo, Costco, Alaska Airlines, Calhoun . Locations: Westchester, New York, Lebanon, New Hampshire, South Carolina, New Canaan , Connecticut, American

☆ Billionaire golf fans' favorite tournament, the Masters, kicks off this week in Augusta
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-10 | by ( Madeline Berg | Taylor Rains | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

The Masters Tournament begins this week at Augusta National Golf Club. That's thanks to the Masters Tournament, the first in an annual run of major professional golf championships and a favorite of the superrich. Former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice became one of the first women to join Augusta National in 2012. But if you're not a member, you're not invited by a member, you're not getting on Augusta National." The names of Augusta National members are kept confidential, though their green jackets are a tell.

Persons: Warren Buffett, Bill Gates, —, Dirk Ziff, Stanley Druckenmiller —, Barnabas Carrega, Carrega, State Condoleezza Rice, Timothy A, Clary, weren't, Darla Dee Moore, Richard Rainwater, Augusta National's, Billy Casper, Horton Smith, Jamie Squire, Phil Knight —, Robert Rowling, Herbert Allen Jr, David Duffield, Ernest Garcia, Greg Mondre, Garth Brooks, Luke Bryan, Rory McIlroy, Tiger Woods, that's Organizations: Augusta National Golf, Private, Service, Michelin, Golf, Bloomberg, State, Augusta National, Getty, Augusta, Augusta Regional Airport, Nike, reselling, Ticketmaster Locations: Augusta , Georgia, Augusta, Georgia, United States, Carvana

☆ Billionaires' superyachts are bigger, better, and have more on board than ever
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-29 | by ( Madeline Berg | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

And if you don't have someone on board who can whip up a Michelin-star-worthy meal, you might as well stay on land. AdvertisementThe massage room aboard the Talisman C, a $60 million superyacht for sale at the Palm Beach show. The total value of the 203 superyachts over 30 meters delivered last year was $6.4 billion, according to data from SuperYacht Times. Pampering options, be it a massage room, manicure station, or a professional-grade facial machine, are a dime a dozen. Courtesy of Breed MediaAnd what good is a massage room if no one on board can give one?

Persons: —, Ralph Dazert, Burgess, Anders Kurtén, Kurtén, Nero superyacht, Giovanna Vitelli, Champagne, Benetti's, Donald Trump, Trump, Vitelli, they're, It's, Jeff Bezos, Dazert, everything's, Nero, Jeffrey Beneville, Lana, Bill Gates Organizations: Service, Michelin, SuperYacht Times, Palm, Yachts, —, Monaco Yacht Locations: Russian, superyachting

☆ A $20m mansion home was built on top of a 400ft skyscraper. The tycoon owner may never get to live in it.
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-23 | by ( Cameron Manley | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

A $20-million sky mansion sits on top of a 33-story luxury apartment complex in India. The spectacular home was designed for businessman Vijay Mallya. AdvertisementVijay Mallya might never get to live in the mansionThere's a real possibility that Mallya won't ever get to live in the sky mansion. Indian businessman Vijay Mallya arrives at the Royal Courts of Justice in London, February 2020. On the list were defense dealer Sanjay Bhandari, diamond trader Nirav Modi, and Vijay Mallya.

Persons: Vijay Mallya, Mallya, —, Vijay, instagram Irfan Razac, superrich, Ambani, Ashwin, Tom Tugendhat, Sanjay Bhandari, Nirav Modi Organizations: Service, Prestige Estates, Business, Kingfisher, Financial Times, Royal, of Justice, Reuters, of State Security, Press Trust of, The, India's Central Bureau of Investigation, National Investigation Agency Locations: India, Bengaluru, Mumbai, London, Reuters India, Japan, Canada, New Zealand, Norway, British, Press Trust of India, The Times

☆ Jeff Bezos' move to Miami shows just how hard it is to tax the rich
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-13 | by ( Madeline Berg | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

AdvertisementEarlier this month, Bezos announced plans to unload 50 million Amazon shares , worth about $8.5 billion, over the next year. Last week, he sold 12 million shares worth more than $2 billion, per SEC filings. But he stopped in 2022 — the same year Washington state imposed a 7% capital gains tax on gains of over $250,000 for those domiciled there. Florida, in contrast, has a capital gains tax rate of zero. In fact, it is one of the eight states that does not have a capital gains tax.

Persons: Jeff Bezos, he's, —, Rich, Lauren Sanchez, Blue, Sanchez, Miami, Bezos, It's, Ken Griffin, Carl Icahn, Daniel Och, Josh Harris, Griffin —, it’s, it's, Bill Gates, Steve Ballmer, MacKenzie Scott Organizations: Miami, Service, SEC, CNBC, Sunshine State, Evergreen State Locations: Washington, Florida, Miami, Canaveral, Texas

☆ 45 American families are worth more than $10 billion — and the wealthiest one is even richer than Elon Musk
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-12 | by ( Theron Mohamed | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Forbes found that there are 45 American families with fortunes exceeding $10 billion. The Walmart founder Sam Walton's heirs are richer than Elon Musk, with a $267 billion fortune. AdvertisementThere are 45 American families worth at least $10 billion, and the richest one is wealthier than Elon Musk, Forbes says. Forbes estimates the 45 superrich families are collectively worth about $1.3 trillion, or roughly 10 times Warren Buffett's personal fortune. The descendants of John D. Rockefeller — the nation's richest man in his prime — barely made Forbes' list, with a $10.3 billion fortune.

Persons: Forbes, Sam Walton's, Elon Musk, Koch, Lauder, Pritzker, Rockefeller, —, Warren, Hearst, John D, MacMillan, Campbell, Brown, Forman, Jack Daniel's, Busch, Haslam, Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway, it's Organizations: Walmart, Elon, Service, Forbes, SpaceX, Marriott, Carnegie, Vanderbilt, Getty, Cargill, Hyatt Hotels, Anheuser, Busch, InBev, Centers, Warren Locations: Marriott, Hearst

☆ How the superrich, like Walmart's Waltons, get richer by using trusts to give to charity and save on tax
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-23 | by ( Hayley Cuccinello | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

If the calculations predict that the trust's remainder interest is zero, the beneficiaries are exempt from estate tax even if the assets actually appreciate by a greater amount. If the trust assets are invested and achieve an annual rate of return of 9% a year, the CLT's remainder will be $2.1 million. Advertisement"It's a fantastic low interest rate play," said Renn. "The problem now is rates have really risen and it's to the point where some investments clearly can outperform a 4% or 5% interest rate, but others might struggle." In this interest rate environment, charitable remainder trusts (CRTs) have better odds.

Persons: —, Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, Walton, Lance Morgan, Ed Renn, I've, Renn, Dan Griffith, Griffith, CLTs, Onassis, Jennifer Galvagna, Michael Prinzo, they're Organizations: Service, Tax, Business, Bloomberg, Huntington Private Bank, Bank of America Private Bank Locations: Withersworldwide, CLTs, Israel, Palestine

☆ The one thing the superrich want in their homes is simple — and it's actually cheap
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-16 | by ( Zoe Rosenberg | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

"They want to be comfortable everywhere," an interior designer told Sotheby's of his luxury clients. Folks want to be at ease in 2024, according to Sotheby's luxury outlook for the year ahead , and no one has more spending power to make that a decadent reality in their homes than the wealthiest among us. Actor David Harbour showed Architectural Digest his Brooklyn backyard sauna and cold plunge pools, by New York-based modular sauna company Swelter House, in February 2023. "I got really into sauna and cold plunge, like, three years ago," he said, standing in the doorway of the Finnish-style sauna. Eklund's own home in Beverly Hills, California has an infrared sauna and a cold plunge pool, though, he told BI, he's "not the average buyer."

Persons: Sotheby's, —, Loro Piana, Kendall Roy, Robert Stilin, Stilin, Michael Gabellini, Gabellini Shephard, Kendall Jenner, Kardashian, Fredrik Eklund Bravo, Fredrik Eklund, John Gomes, David Harbour, Eklund, luxuriating, Liliya Krueger, Jenner Organizations: Service Locations: Los Angeles, Brooklyn, New York, Beverly Hills , California

A major new study has revealed just how much elite colleges admissions in the U.S. systematically favor the rich and the superrich. David Leonhardt, a senior writer for The Times and The Morning, walks through the data and explains why the study is fueling calls to abandon longstanding practices like legacy admissions.

Persons: David Leonhardt Organizations: The Times Locations: U.S

☆ Meet the latest way the superrich prove they're really, totally worried about the environment: $10 million electric superyachts
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-22 | by ( Cork Gaines | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Nico Rosberg took the Sunreef 80 Eco, a luxury electric yacht, for a spin. Sunreef Yachts recently unveiled their second-generation Sunreef 80 Eco. The Sunreef 80 Eco solar panels are built into the body and mast of the yacht. Sunreef 80 Eco deck. Sunreef 80 Eco YouTube/Nico RosbergYou can watch the entire tour of the supertoy here.

Persons: Nico Rosberg, Rosberg, Elon Organizations: Sunreef Yachts, Sunreef, Eco

☆ 3 travel agents for the world's wealthiest people share exactly where the 1% are traveling this summer, from Botswana to the Côte d'Azur
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-20 | by ( Mark Ellwood | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

Summer travel can be done on a budget, but for the world's wealthiest people, no expense is spared. Top travel agents shared the hottest spots they're seeing this year, from Paros to the Côte d'Azur. Instead, look to the elite group of agents who help wrangle those jaunts and cater to the wealthiest, most demanding vacationers. Courtesy of John CliffordJohn Clifford in San Diego runs International Travel Management and has expertise with LGBTQ+ travel. Insider asked these travel professionals to share the secrets of where and how the richest 1% are vacationing in summer 2023.

Persons: they've, Jules Maury, Jules Maury Jules Maury, Scott Dunn, John Clifford, John Clifford John Clifford, Edward Granville ., Edward Granville Edward Granville, Granville, Maury, I've, Clifford, he's, Côte, they're, We've, Rod, it's, Paros, It's, Cosme, Parilio, Avant, she's, she'd, Milos Organizations: Côte, Service, San Diego, Travel Management, d'Azur, Porto Heli, Italy, Avant Mar, HBO, Domenico Palace Locations: Paros, Wall, Silicon, San, Red Savannah, London, COVID, Europe, Cannes, France, Africa, Botswana, Namibia, Botswana's Okavango Delta, Kenya, Porto, Greece, Italy, Spain, Athens, Amalfi Coast, Rome, Sicily, Domenico

☆ In the Age of Trump, It’s Hard to Be Humble - The New York Times
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-17 | by ( Nicholas Kristof | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +15 min

OK, now wait, listen, when I hear the words “housing policy,” I tend to sort of doze off. And I’m talking, like, the most regressive, meaning, Texas, which is the conservative bastion of anti-taxes, is more progressive than Washington State, liberal Washington State. So over here in Illinois, which is the quintessential liberal state, there’s this one county that contains the city of Chicago. Blue states are the places where tens of thousands of homeless people are living on the streets. Blue states are the places where economic inequality is increasing most quickly in this country.

Persons: I’ve, they’ll, there’s, Binya Appelbaum, He’s, There’s, it’s, ” “, Binya, ”, “, they’re, Don’t, — you’ve, Let’s, Bill Gates, Jeff Bezos, It’s, you’re, don’t, We’re Organizations: Republican, Times, Democratic Party, Republican Party, House Democrats, City Council, Palo Alto, Washington State, Democratic, Republicans Locations: U.S, America, California, San Diego County, Palo Alto, Calif, San Francisco, Palo, Washington State, Texas, Washington, Nevada, Illinois, Chicago, Cook County, Connecticut

☆ How Democrats Can Win Workers
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-13 | by ( David Leonhardt | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +4 min

Today, I’ll be writing about what Democrats might do about the problem, focusing on a new YouGov poll, conducted as part of the Center for Working-Class Politics study. A key point is that even modest shifts in the working-class vote can decide elections. If President Biden wins 50 percent of the non-college vote next year, he will almost certainly be re-elected. But candidate messages that explicitly mentioned race were unpopular. Democrats who have won difficult recent elections, including both progressives and moderates, have often presented a blue-collar image.

Persons: I’ll, Biden, ”, Bhaskar Sunkara, Matthew Yglesias, Mark Kelly of Arizona, Marcy Kaptur, Jared Abbott, Harry Truman, Franklin Roosevelt Organizations: Center, Democratic, Jacobin, Voters, Ohio, Progress, Swing Locations: Chicago , Los Angeles , New York, Philadelphia

☆ Opinion | The Great Genius of ‘Succession’ Was Hovering Two Inches Above Reality
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-29 | by ( Kurt Andersen | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

Like most of the great cable dramas, and to me, like so much of contemporary life, “Succession” was simultaneously tragic and comic, entertaining and horrifying. On the surface, the show blurred fiction and reality in a way that was juicy and fun. “Succession” has perfectly captured the current zeitgeist, with all its confusions and contradictions. At least 53 million ordinary folks watched Vogue’s video of the rich and famous arriving at the Met Gala on May Day. “Succession’s” huge HBO budgets afforded it the verisimilitude of endless private planes and extravagant locations filled with hundreds of extras.

☆ The Mystery of the Disappearing van Gogh
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-29 | by ( May | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

He also controlled a hidden offshore network of more than 130 companies holding over $5 billion in assets, according to corporate documents obtained by The New York Times. Among them was Sotheby’s invoice for the van Gogh. Today, Mr. Xiao is a man who has fallen far. And the still life, according to several art experts, has been offered for private sale. For a century after van Gogh gathered flowers and placed them in an earthen vase to paint, the artwork’s provenance could be easily traced, and the piece was often exhibited in museums for visitors to admire.

☆ Luxury Brands Don’t Just Sell to the Superrich
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-27 | by ( Carol Ryan | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

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The characters on the HBO show "Succession" often reference real events and billionaire figures. Here's what the Roys have said, done, and worn that capture the real-life world of the rich. Top editors give you the stories you want — delivered right to your inbox each weekday. The HBO drama, which has won awards for its acting and writing, is also incredibly well-researched. There are obvious nods: The Roys, like the Murdochs and the Arnaults, have succession drama that's made for TV.

☆ I tested a private jet simulator. It was like playing a video game — but way more stressful.
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-21 | by ( Ryan Hogg | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

I tried out a private jet simulator at a BAE Systems location in England. I tested its latest head-up display (HUD) technology, which is designed to make flying easier. I visited a BAE Systems base to try out its latest private jet simulator and experience what it's like to fly celebrities or the superrich around the world. My visit also gave me the opportunity to use one of BAE's most powerful tools — its head-up display (HUD). According to Charles, BAE is working on proposals for airlines, private jet operators, and prospective military clients to use the equipment.

☆ Gov. Hochul Gets a Budget Deal, but No Signature Win
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-28 | by ( Grace Ashford | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

ALBANY, N.Y. — It was around dinner time on Thursday, with many New York State lawmakers already heading home to their districts, when Gov. Kathy Hochul dropped a budget bombshell: Roughly four weeks past the deadline, she and legislative leaders had reached a tentative deal. She hastily convened a news conference in the Capitol’s ornate Red Room to announce the handshake agreement, but there were no hands to shake. Neither the leader of the Assembly nor the Senate was present, leaving Ms. Hochul to make a solitary victory lap around a $229 billion budget that, if passed by the Legislature next week, will be one month overdue. She backed off from her pledge to construct 800,000 new homes, a potential centerpiece of her first term.

☆ A recovering overspender explains how she makes a game out of having a 'no-spend day' to break bad habits and get her finances back on track
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-23 | by ( Jason Lalljee | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Rebecca Sowden explains "no-spend days" and shares money-management strategies on TikTok. "No-spend days" involve training your financial habits so that you can meet goals and pay off debt. 'No-spend days' can really add upOne trend she's promoted is the "no-spend day" challenge. One TikTok user, @thesavvysagittarius, set a goal of doing as many no-spend days as she can until she pays off her debts, which she said adds up to about $13,000. "We're left with these habits that we got used to, these activities that include spending money that's really not sustainable.

☆ Scott Galloway looked at 100 charts on US inequality for his new book. America is adrift, but here's why he's optimistic.
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-21 | by ( Paul Constant | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

NYU professor Scott Galloway spoke to Paul Constant about his book "Adrift: America in 100 Charts." Galloway says we need to bring back the middle class, but there's still hope for the US. This process offered him several important new insights into the decaying of the American middle class — and a surprising sign of optimism for the future. Galloway believes America has been its own worst enemy, with outsized political division keeping us from solving the problem of inequality. "First you have to acknowledge that the middle class is an accident, and it's not self-sustaining," Galloway said.

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