In an October 2026 New York Times interview, United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby said he would support a national wealth tax and an inheritance tax of close to 100 percent, arguing passive wealth growth escapes tax through stepped-up basis. A Wall Street Journal op-ed criticized the comments, and Kirby, appearing on Squawk Pod, said he is not a policy advocate and would prefer lower income taxes with taxes on wealth gains. He has since said he pays about 53 percent in taxes in California, a figure that now anchors the argument over whether his original remarks were a considered position or an offhand one.