Davos billionaires are nervously laughing at Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez's tax plan

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) says it's "wrong" that billionaires exist in a country where there's extreme poverty. Unsurprisingly, one massive gathering of international billionaires isn't thrilled.
Ocasio-Cortez is among a wave of progressives proposing big changes to fight economic inequality, notably mentioning a "60 or 70 percent" marginal tax rate on America's top earners. That proposal has drawn harsh criticism from conservatives, and got similar feedback when posed to the super-rich gathered in Davos, Switzerland for the World Economic Forum on Wednesday.
First to tackle the tax plan was Michael Dell, founder and CEO of his namesake tech company with a $28.6 billion net worth.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
But Scott Minerd, investment head for Guggenheim Partners, called the freshman Democrat's proposal "scary" in an interview with CNBC. What some call a liberal fantasy is "going to gain more momentum" by the 2020 presidential election, Minerd said, adding there's "very real" possibility it'll become a real policy.
Anand Giridharadas, an author who's known for progressive economic ideas like Ocasio-Cortez's, got a laugh from former U.K. Prime Minister Tony Blair for suggesting rich elites "broke the modern world." Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates suggested those same ideas were reminiscent of "communism." And when all was Davosed and done, Ocasio-Cortez fired back with her signature Twitter sass. Kathryn Krawczyk
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Kathryn is a graduate of Syracuse University, with degrees in magazine journalism and information technology, along with hours to earn another degree after working at SU's independent paper The Daily Orange. She's currently recovering from a horse addiction while living in New York City, and likes to share her extremely dry sense of humor on Twitter.
-
Canada beats US in charged 4 Nations hockey final
Speed Read 'You can't take our country — and you can't take our game,' Prime Minister Justin Trudeau posted after the game
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Mitch McConnell won't seek reelection
Speed Read The longest-serving Senate party leader is retiring
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
Trump reportedly wants to take over US Postal Service
Speed Read President Trump is making plans to disband the leadership of USPS and absorb the agency into his administration
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Trump's China tariffs start after Canada, Mexico pauses
Speed Read The president paused his tariffs on America's closest neighbors after speaking to their leaders, but his import tax on Chinese goods has taken effect
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Chinese AI chatbot's rise slams US tech stocks
Speed Read The sudden popularity of a new AI chatbot from Chinese startup DeepSeek has sent U.S. tech stocks tumbling
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
US port strike averted with tentative labor deal
Speed Read The strike could have shut down major ports from Texas to Maine
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Biden expected to block Japanese bid for US Steel
Speed Read The president is blocking the $14 billion acquisition of U.S. Steel by Japan's Nippon Steel, citing national security concerns
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Judges block $25B Kroger-Albertsons merger
Speed Read The proposed merger between the supermarket giants was stalled when judges overseeing two separate cases blocked the deal
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Rupert Murdoch loses 'Succession' court battle
Speed Read Murdoch wanted to give full control of his empire to son Lachlan, ensuring Fox News' right-wing editorial slant
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Bitcoin surges above $100k in post-election rally
Speed Read Investors are betting that the incoming Trump administration will embrace crypto
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Enron mystery: 'sick joke' or serious revival?
Speed Read 23 years after its bankruptcy filing, the Texas energy firm has announced its resurrection
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published