My Conversation with David Gamage, Co-Author of California's Billionaire Tax Proposal

Jan 23, 2026

If you’ve heard anything about the proposed one-time billionaire wealth tax in California, you’ve probably heard complaints from one of California’s ~200 billionaires about how onerous, unfair, or unworkable the tax would be. I asked David to join me because he helped draft the tax proposal and is one of the country’s leading experts on wealth taxes. I hope you’ll give the conversation a listen because David offers what I think are clear and understandable rebuttals to the leading economic and legal arguments against the tax. I left the conversation with a much better understanding of how it would work.