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Do any of the super-rich actually want to be taxed more?

Yes — and it's organised. More than 250 millionaires and billionaires signed the 'Proud to Pay More' open letter to world leaders at Davos in 2024, the Patriotic Millionaires campaign for higher taxes on themselves, polling finds a majority of millionaires support a wealth tax, and G20 leaders in Rio endorsed progressive taxation of the ultra-wealthy in November 2024.

250+
millionaires and billionaires who signed the 'Proud to Pay More' letter demanding higher taxes on themselves — Proud to Pay More / Global Citizen
The rich are asking to be taxed: more than 250 millionaires and billionaires signed the 'Proud to Pay More' open letter at Davos 2024; the Patriotic Millionaires campaign for equal taxes on capital and work; G20 leaders in Rio endorsed progressive taxation of the ultra-wealthy in November 2024; Zucman's 2% minimum tax on billionaires would raise $250bn a year.
The movement: rich signatories, millionaire polls, and a G20 declaration

The strongest evidence that taxing extreme wealth is possible comes from an unexpected direction: the wealthy themselves. In January 2024, more than 250 millionaires and billionaires from around the world signed an open letter to political leaders gathered at Davos. Its language is not grudging: 'Not only do we want to be taxed more but we believe we must be taxed more. We would be proud to live in countries where this is expected, and proud of elected leaders who build better futures.'

Behind the letters sits an organised movement. The Patriotic Millionaires — a network of high-net-worth individuals — campaign for taxing capital at least as heavily as work and for structural taxes on dynastic wealth. The name is the argument: these are people who built fortunes in their countries, feel bound to them, and have no intention of decamping to a tax haven. The threat to leave, they argue, is made loudly by a few and acted on by very few — a claim Norway's numbers and Manhattan's luxury market both support. Polling backs them: Forbes reported in 2025 that a majority of millionaires surveyed support a wealth tax.

The politics is moving too. In November 2024, G20 leaders in Rio adopted a declaration explicitly endorsing progressive taxation of the ultra-wealthy — the first time the world's largest economies have jointly committed to the principle. It followed economist Gabriel Zucman's proposal to the G20 for a coordinated 2% minimum tax on billionaire wealth, which would raise more than $250 billion a year globally from roughly 3,000 people.

None of this means extreme wealth will volunteer itself for taxation; most billionaires sign nothing and say nothing. But the movement dismantles the two standard excuses. 'They'll all leave' — here are hundreds publicly promising to stay and pay. 'It's the politics of envy' — the demand is coming from inside the class that would pay. What remains is simply a question of whether governments choose to act on it.

“Not only do we want to be taxed more but we believe we must be taxed more. We would be proud to live in countries where this is expected, and proud of elected leaders who build better futures.”— 'Proud to Pay More' open letter to world leaders, Davos, January 2024, read the letter

Common questions

Who are the Patriotic Millionaires?
A network of wealthy individuals, founded in the US with a UK branch, who lobby for higher taxes on people like themselves — including equalising tax rates on capital gains and work, and structural taxes on dynastic and trust-held wealth.
Isn't this just a tiny unrepresentative group?
The signatories are a minority of the very rich, but the view is not fringe: Forbes reported polling in 2025 showing a majority of millionaires support a wealth tax, and voter polling consistently shows around 70% support for making millionaires and billionaires pay more.
What did the G20 actually agree?
At the Rio summit in November 2024, G20 leaders adopted a joint declaration endorsing progressive taxation of the ultra-wealthy and cooperation on taxing high-net-worth individuals. It is a statement of principle, not yet a binding tax — but it is the first such commitment by the world's largest economies.
What is the Zucman proposal?
Economist Gabriel Zucman proposed to the G20 a coordinated minimum tax equal to 2% of wealth for billionaires — roughly 3,000 people globally — raising over $250 billion a year and ending the race to the bottom between countries.

Sources — check them yourself