United CEO Scott Kirby backs national wealth tax and national service

United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby has again stepped into the national policy debate, this time proposing mandatory national service for all Americans in addition to the national wealth tax he endorsed last week. In a New York Times question-and-answer session published on a Sunday, Kirby said that a wealth tax at the national level would work better than one set by individual states, since people could simply relocate to avoid it.

Kirby also said the country should have inheritance taxes approaching 100 percent at some level, adding that he would pay them himself. He argued that wealth inequality poses a danger to society and should be addressed. The remarks arrived as California voters prepared to decide next month on a billionaire tax, a measure some economists have said could spur a movement spreading to other states and countries.

Conservative pundits and politicians quickly criticized Kirby over the wealth tax comments, with some suggesting he give his salary to United employees. Kirby did not retract his statement. In an interview with Bloomberg TV on Wednesday, he said he is not a policy advocate, has no plans to run for office, and was simply asked for a « non-consensus opinion ». He framed the proposal as a matter of basic fairness, noting that some people earning passive income can avoid income taxes. In his view, a fairer system would tax wealth growth in some way while lowering income taxes. Despite the backlash, he said the emails he had received on the wealth tax were split evenly between support and opposition.

When the Times asked whether he had another contrarian view, Kirby proposed national service. « I think national service for everyone would be a good idea », he said, adding that he envisions everyone spending a couple of years as a teacher, a firefighter or in the military. « I think that’d be good for our country », he said. In the same Q&A he also said artificial intelligence is not an investment bubble.

Kirby’s own background shapes his view of service. He attended the Air Force Academy and earned degrees in computer science and operations research. An inner ear problem kept him from becoming a fighter pilot, because he could not fly level with his eyes closed. He instead worked at the Pentagon as a budget analyst, earned a master’s degree in operations research, and then began a 30-year career in the airline industry. He has said the academy instilled a « no excuses » attitude he still requires of his executive team, calling it perhaps the most important lesson a cadet can learn.

Kirby is not the only corporate leader with a record of military service. Several Fortune 500 chief executives have served, mostly in the Army, including the heads of Casey’s General Stores, Emcor, Xcel Energy, Sempra Energy and Advance Auto Parts.

In the Bloomberg interview, Kirby tied his proposals to long-term national concerns. « I love this country. I want it to be great for the next 250 years. I want it to be great for my kids », he said. He added that the country needs to stop passing its problems to the next generation, citing federal deficits and the future of Social Security. « I have seven kids. I care about what the country is going to be like for them », he said.

4Views

Author

Connor Quincy

Technology Reporter

Connor Quincy covers public affairs, politics, business, culture and daily news for Core Memo. The role focuses on verification, context, and clear explanations for readers.

All articles by this author