{
  "id": 15801630,
  "title": "United Airlines CEO—who made $32 million last year—calls for a national wealth tax and a near-100% inheritance tax: ‘I would pay them’",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/20/united-airlines-ceo-who-made-32-million-last-year-calls-for-a",
  "topic": "finance",
  "section": "Finance & Markets",
  "published": "2026-10-20T20:17:47.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Fortune",
    "slug": "fortune",
    "url": "https://fortune.com/2026/10/20/united-airlines-ceo-scott-kirby-wealth-tax-inheritance-tax/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby earned a staggering $32.3 million last year - more than 300 times the compensation of his company's median employee. The wealthy business leader has called for a national wealth tax and an inheritance tax that could potentially reach 100%. Kirby believes that such measures are necessary to address the growing wealth inequality in America. He stated, \"Wealth inequality has become a danger to our society, and we need to address that.\" Kirby's own compensation, which included a $1.2 million base salary and $22.6 million in stock awards, illustrates the stark economic divide between executives and their employees. In Dallas, where Kirby resides, a part-time airport customer service representative earns around $19.64 per hour, making it take roughly 790 years to match Kirby's 2025 compensation under no raises or bonuses. Kirby's proposal aligns him with other high-profile business leaders like Bill Gates and Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff, who have also advocated for higher taxes on the wealthy. However, his comments have faced criticism, such as a comment from Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry suggesting Kirby could simply pay into a public fund to address his concerns. The proposed tax thresholds and rates have not been specified by Kirby.",
  "summary": "Kirby’s 2025 pay was about 334 times what United’s median employee earned, as the richest 1% of U.S. households hold a growing share of the nation’s wealth.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 3,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "CNBC",
        "title": "United Airlines slashes 2026 profit outlook on fuel prices, but travelers keep booking despite higher fares",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/20/united-airlines-slashes-2026-profit-outlook-on-fuel-prices-but",
        "published": "2026-10-20T20:05:44.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Quartz",
        "title": "United Airlines is cutting its 2026 profit forecast as it expects fuel at $4.80 a gallon",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/20/united-airlines-is-cutting-its-2026-profit-forecast-as-it-expects",
        "published": "2026-10-20T20:40:29.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}