Google Co-Founder Sergey Brin Commits $45M to Block California Billionaire Tax
Key Takeaways
- ▸Sergey Brin has invested $45 million total in opposing California's proposed 5% wealth tax on billionaires, with the potential tax liability for him exceeding $12 billion
- ▸Tech industry leaders including Eric Schmidt, Patrick Collison, and Tony Xu have collectively contributed tens of millions of dollars to Super PACs fighting the ballot measure
- ▸Brin relocated from California to Nevada in late 2025, strategically positioning himself to avoid the tax's January 1, 2026 residency requirement
Summary
Sergey Brin, co-founder of Google and former president of Alphabet, has donated a total of $45 million to oppose California's proposed billionaire tax, doubling down on his financial commitment to the campaign. The wealth tax, if approved by voters, would require California residents worth more than $1 billion to pay a one-time 5% tax on their assets, potentially costing Brin approximately $12 billion based on his estimated net worth of $247 billion. Brin's massive contributions come shortly after he relocated from California to Nevada in late 2025, appearing to preempt the tax's January 1, 2026 residency requirement.
Brin is joined by other tech industry leaders in funding the opposition effort. Former Alphabet CEO Eric Schmidt has contributed over $3 million to anti-tax Super PACs, while other major donors include Stripe CEO Patrick Collison ($7 million), DoorDash CEO Tony Xu ($2 million), and venture capitalists across Silicon Valley. The primary opposition vehicle, Building a Better California Super PAC, is simultaneously promoting a competing ballot measure called "Protect Retirements" designed to ban retroactive taxes and undermine the billionaire tax proposal.
- Opposition Super PACs like Building a Better California are simultaneously promoting alternative ballot measures designed to preempt or weaken the billionaire tax
