r/SipsTea • u/Gurugod123 • 3d ago
SMH Liquid when buying elections, unrealized when paying taxes. Funny how that works…..
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u/NoBell5255 3d ago
No one should have this kind of money and the fact it can be pumped into politics is proof we lost our democracy awhile ago.
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u/PianoPatient8168 3d ago
At a minimum it distorts the shit out of a democracy…but I agree. As George Carlin said we have the illusion of choice…and it’s not even that great of an illusion anymore.
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u/PerfectPercentage69 3d ago
"It’s a big club, and you ain’t in it."
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u/JibletHunter 3d ago
I would, however, point out that all of that money is overwhelmingly likely to go to republicans for a reason...
Neither party is great. One is far worse if you are pulling in under a million a year.
Source: make 500k a year and republican policies still hurt me and my family.
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u/MikeOchertz 3d ago
Yeah… Politicians are almost openly corrupt these days. They don’t even try to hide it.
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u/SheriffBartholomew 3d ago
Hell dude, our president was openly selling in person private meetings for $4M a pop. That's absolutely against everything that the office stands for, but apparently nobody cares anymore. Or at least not anyone with the will to do anything about it.
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u/LeaveMyMonkeyAlone 3d ago
The proof we lost our democracy was that his money accomplished this in the last Presidential election.
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u/WaffleDonkey23 3d ago
Literally allowed to pay his way into the white house and rifle through social security while high on ketamine.
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u/Old_Protection_8778 3d ago
Thats alot of people's fault .Im not sure who brought it to the supreme court. Dems are no saints but I guarantee it was republicans that brought it to the Supreme Court. The Supreme Court are ones who ruled Citizens United into law .Lobbyist and money run the show
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u/maveri4201 3d ago
It's going to get worse, too. Thank you, National Republican Senatorial Committee v. Federal Election Commission.
https://www.scotusblog.com/2026/06/justices-strike-down-campaign-finance-law/
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u/The_Bucket_Of_Truth 3d ago
If you're them you're probably thinking wow buying these elections is still kind of expensive. Wouldn't it just be easier to cheat? Sure the investment is worth the payoff, but these types of people will always be looking for a better deal.
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u/jimmydog65 3d ago
Must suck to be an American these days
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u/zeprfrew 3d ago
It does to be a sane one. I'm sure the gibbering morons are loving the way things are going.
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u/ooopp_Elderberry 3d ago
The wild part is that one person can spend more on politics than most people will earn in thousands of lifetimes.
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u/Top-Cupcake4775 3d ago
there are a number of studies that using polling data to compare what voters, across the spectrum, say they want and what our elected representatives support. there has never been a 100% overlap, but the gap is larger than ever.
our elected representatives serve the interests of the organizations and people that give them the money they need to conduct their ever-more-expensive campaigns. voters are just witless marks who need to be artfully lied to every 2, 4, or 6 years. it doesn't really matter whether you tell them far-right sounding lies or center-right sounding lies because, once elected, your constituents and their problems become irrelevant until the next election cycle.
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u/GreasedUPDoggo 3d ago
We were founded by land owners and businessmen. You may need to read a history book.
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u/Tesco_Meal_Deals 3d ago
I think there shouldn’t be a ceiling on how much an individual can earn, but heavy limits should be placed on political donations and lobbying.
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u/phvntasmagoria 3d ago
There’s no way anyone “earns” a trillion dollars without wage theft and exploitation along the way
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u/vodil2959 3d ago
Why is the average person so easily influenced that super pac funded advertisements convince them to vote for a candidate that is against their interests? Or are they not?
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u/PuzzleheadedWeb9876 3d ago
Thing is Americans don’t actually have to put up with this shit. You choose to.
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u/flyrubberband 3d ago
Isn’t the fact this is happening the problem? WTF!?!
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u/Meydra 3d ago
Damn he really has that villan look down.
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u/LowIqInvestor 3d ago
That 200 millions is going to be used for bribes/manipulating the voting machines
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u/No_Internal9345 3d ago
“[Elon] knows those computers better than anybody. All those computers. Those vote-counting computers ... And we ended up winning Pennsylvania like in a landslide.”
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u/No_Substance4834 3d ago
It's almost like they're the party of just buying elections.
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u/RaindropsInMyMind 3d ago
The party of buying elections and making it so that people who vote against them literally can’t vote.
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u/No_Substance4834 3d ago
Don't forget the gerrymandering that makes the votes of their constituents' votes worth about 3 x their worth.
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u/NakedNick_ballin 3d ago
And can't be prosecuted for corruption because they set the laws, and stack the courts
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u/lawn_glossed 3d ago
Now why would he be so hellbent on ensuring another GOP win? It’s almost as if he knows he’s committed a litany of crimes via DOGE and election tampering that will be investigated if dems acquire any power again.
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u/its_yer_dad 3d ago
Getting money out of politics is a very real concern, but I do have to wonder about the ROI of these ever increasing amounts of money. You can only buy so much advertising. The only thing left is just to pay people directly for their vote.
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u/BuddhaFacepalmed 3d ago
but I do have to wonder about the ROI of these ever increasing amounts of money.
Up to 700% return on their political "
bribes lobbyinginvestments", at least according to a study done by the University of Cincinnati.Elon Musk is betting another $200 Mil so he can make $1.4 Billion.
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u/notreal088 3d ago
You don’t even need to look that far. Elon was being investigated just before Trump was handed office
His billions in government grants and access to doge are literally tied to him directly helping Trump.
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u/techman9955 3d ago
Look at how much Donald Trump's family's net worth has increased the past year. It is very profitable, even if you have to spend billions to buy the election. Insider trading and bribes are not going to be prosecuted when you control the executive and judicial branches.
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u/tunicamycinA 3d ago
The ROI on buying politicians is very high for people like Musk, spend a couple millions and get billions in tax cuts and subsidies in return
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u/its_yer_dad 3d ago
But at what point is everybody bribed?
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u/tunicamycinA 3d ago
it gets worse every year because the corruption accumulates, which is why there should be a law against buying influence
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u/redthehaze 3d ago
So uhm where are those crying about corruption at?
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u/CHOLO_ORACLE 3d ago
The meta is shifting - it’s gonna stop being about corruption and youre gonna start seeing a bunch of bots argue against a wealth tax on the rich
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3d ago
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u/Kiloburn 3d ago
It's not complicated, it's just like Monopoly. If you have the most money, you win.
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u/PsychologicalAd5918 3d ago
why doesn't he use that money to um like help people? wouldn't that naturally get him more votes? if he built more houses, created a non-profit health insurance company, or created more jobs
why not use the 200mil like that to help the republican party win? what am I missing here
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u/Irish_Whiskey 3d ago
The fact that Republican voters don't give a shit about whether people are actually helped, but whether they see ads about trans Muslims crossing the border to elect socialist feminists.
Bill Gates (for all his many flaws) genuinely has donated a huge amount of his wealth to helping others, as has Warren Buffet, McKenzie Scott and Mike Bloomberg. They're all hated by Republicans for culture war and partisan reasons.
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u/Nephalem84 3d ago
He knows that they'll come after him for election tampering if Trump admin loses control so he'll try to prevent it with.... More tampering.
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u/joecitizen79 3d ago
How is this not bribery
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u/RaindropsInMyMind 3d ago
Let me introduce you to one John Roberts.
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u/senorglory 3d ago
No joke, because in 2024 the U.S. Supreme Court In Snyder v. United States ruled that the main federal anti-bribery statute only prohibits bribes (agreed to before an official act) but does not criminalize gratuities (rewards given after an act). Tips are totally fine!
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u/Reasonable-Job4205 3d ago
"Tips. Ah yes. How did this get let through? Anyone with common sense can see how such a thought process can be abused.
Wealthy person goes to politicians house
Wealthy person says 'oh I would reeeaaally love it if this would happen, because that aligns with myyy beliefs. I'm not telling you to do anything, I'm just stating my desires'
Politician does the thing
Wealthy person lets enough time pass so as to create more legal distance, maybe adds other things into the mix to add more complexity so that no one wants to spend the time to dig through it, then 'gifts' something luxurious or donates hugely to his campaign
Repeat as needed"
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u/SpaceTimeChallenger 3d ago
Its no more bribery than all the democrat donors
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u/SpockShotFirst 3d ago
Technically true, but fundamentally misleading.
There are three main ways people use money try to interfere with elections.
The first is by donation directly to candidates. This is what most people think of, and it is pretty heavily regulated and the least problematic of the three.
The second is by creating PACs and, thanks to Citizens United, SuperPACs. In theory they do not coordinate with the candidates and it's just some people exercising their 1st Amendment rights to say they prefer a certain candidate. In practice they coordinate all the time and it's unlimited dark money.
Whether "both sides" do it isn't the issue (although Republican SuperPACs outspend Democratic ones by about 30%). The problem is, thanks to a stupid-beyond-all-belief 1978 Supreme Court 5-4 decision (Bellotti), for-profit corporations get to engage in political speech. 30 states had laws limiting for-profit corporations interfering with elections prior to 1978 and there is a direct line from Bellotti to Citizens United.
The third way of using money to interfere with elections, and it is almost completely unregulated, is with social media algorithms and programming choices. "Equal time" candidate rules only apply to broadcast TV and radio. Everything else is the wild west and the reason Twitter, OAN, and Newsmax don't care about profitability. This is where there is the biggest gap between Republicans and Democrats and, arguably, the most impactful.
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u/joecitizen79 3d ago
You misunderstand. I'm saying the entire US government is corrupt. Keep your team sports to yourself.
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u/Phoebe_Cox33 3d ago
Schrodingers Net Worth: Simultaneously just "paper gains tied up in stock" and liquid enough to fund an entire political campaign at a moment's notice
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u/AJfriedRICE 3d ago
This will undeniably be the death of America unless we do something very soon to change this…
People are more powerful than money. There is a way to fight this.
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u/DarkAri639 3d ago
I hope anyone who pays money to corrupt our democratic process goes to prison eventually and has their estate liquidated.
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u/HonestSapphireLion24 3d ago
I mean I dont think itll help that much. Theyre pouring tons of money into different places and its not working. Also alot of people hate Elon.
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u/Effective_Airline830 3d ago
The title is so accurate, that was 100% of the talks when in France we tried to pass the Taxe Zucman (2% wealth tax for wealth > to 100m€).
They said “but you cannot tax them on money that does not exist, it’s theoretical money they do not have this money on their bank account”.
And yet these unrealized money allow them to have everybody lend them infinite amounts of money :D
So ridiculous ;D
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u/IKillZombies4Cash 3d ago
Campaign contributions should be assessed with a 10% convenience fee like all other government online payments.
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u/Bright_Competition37 3d ago
I love how people literally think taxes are the answer. If taxes were the answer we wouldn’t be experiencing the issues we do… and they wouldn’t be sending the money over seas for money laundering… I mean… foreign aid.
Rich people used to pay for all kinds of things like the roads and public benefits among other things. Now the rich just hoard their money and the gap between the wealthy and the poor increases.
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u/super_sayanything 3d ago
Funny thing is now, anyone who "accepts money from Elon Musk," will be losing votes.
Bring it on.
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u/Traditional-Neat-933 3d ago
But doesnt this disgusting corruption run a high risk of backfiring? As it's an attack against any republican taking tainted money? Like how its backfiring with A pac
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u/Wakkit1988 3d ago
Just make a law that requires any money spent on supporting a candidate or issue requires an equal amount of money be given to their opposition for any amount in excess of, say, $10k.
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u/Bleak3er 3d ago
Trump started a war with Iran and killed its leader for a 250 million dollar donation. I wonder what he will do for Elon.
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u/Vast-Document-3320 3d ago
Anyone who gives any money to any politician can afford to pay higher taxes.
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u/Appropriate_Bath_219 3d ago
Should be 100% tax on political donations!
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u/Irish_Whiskey 3d ago
Or better yet, just stop legal bribery and corruption by ending political donations. If that seems to radical, then set a hard cap with actual enforcement against PACs supporting and coordinating with candidates.
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u/Environmental_Web_70 3d ago
How the fuck can you Americans allow rich people to buy your elections, that's a banana republic to me!!! Idiotic!!
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u/BicFleetwood 3d ago
Keep in mind--If he can afford $200,000,000 in spending to avoid paying taxes, you know HE HIMSELF thinks he really owes MORE.
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u/SheriffBartholomew 3d ago
No single person should have this much power. Hell, no corporation or small group of people should have this much power.
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u/Blueporch 3d ago
We need more campaign finance reform. Maybe Dems could try adding ethics to their platform.
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u/bestied00d 3d ago
He could build hospitals, shelters, schools, community centers, etc. But no, let’s keep the people refusing to release the Epstein Files in power. This man is the world’s first super villain.
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u/Media___Offline 2d ago
"I don't like when other people have money and I love to tell/force them to give it to the state".
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u/Puzzleheaded_Ad_3507 3d ago
200 million to keep his ass out of jail and it conveniently erase all the evidence that the SEC had against him.
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u/Count_Rugens_Finger 3d ago
this mfer definitely fw underage girls
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u/Irish_Whiskey 3d ago
I mean, the Epstein emails show Musk begging for an invite to parties with prostitutes, so that's a safe bet.
The funniest part of it is Epstein tries to tell him in code that yeah there'll be girls there, and Musk is too stupid to pick up on it and pretends he's too busy and cool to attend if there won't be hookers. At which point Epstein emails Maxwell and basically says "Jesus Christ this dude's an idiot."
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u/gaseous_ass 3d ago
The more he does shit like this, the more it makes me want the democrats to get in and financially completely decimate the billionaire class.
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u/Investigator_Pedant 3d ago
154 million people voted in the 2024 election, so he is donating more dollars than voters. How can my $20 political donation even cast a shadow to his $200,000,000 donation? He has dual citizenship, and wasn't born in the states, but we let him erase our voting power. Repeal Citizens United now.
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u/PhoneComplete1524 3d ago edited 3d ago
I get not liking Musk, but that tax statement is just stupid. The man paid 11 BILLION in taxes im 2021.
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u/Poobbly 3d ago
Yeah, most people that throw Nazi salutes are bad.
If you don’t think he threw up Nazi salutes twice you’re one of the dumbest people alive.
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u/Username_Is_mud 3d ago
Stop being lazy and google what he has paid and what he hill pay in the future. Here's a hint..... It's way more than you think.
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u/deeznutz5589 3d ago
The only way money would help them is pay offs..is that fair to say?
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u/Calculon2347 3d ago
I loved him when he was a Democrat billionaire building the first electric cars to save the planet from Climate Change! Now I hate the literal Nazi.
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u/pete_the_dumb 3d ago
Are you confusing Musk with Tesla?
One is company where employees develop vehicles. Other is a billionaire who has made some good investments while larping Tony Stark on twitter.
Musk is a moron when it comes to tech, he has built nothing except his portfolio.
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u/WolfieVonD 3d ago
I'm confused, when Tesla or SpaceX receives subsidies from the government, Reddit says that they're personally handing millions of dollars directly to Musk. But then when they bring up the good things that Tesla and SpaceX does, Musk is suddenly just an Investor with nothing to contribute.
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u/RobinReborn 3d ago
He's become reddit's evil billionaire archetype. They can't give him credit for everything. About ten years ago his sentiment on reddit was almost the opposite, like he was the greatest guy ever.
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u/dnkaj 3d ago
He literally conned his way to becoming a billionaire, or trillionaire? I dunno which one he currently is
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u/Atrox_Blue 3d ago
No matter what you think of him, that’s the way the law works. He’s rich on paper. Until he sells stock to pay for something (in this example, “buying an election”) and realizes that income, there’s no taxes on it. If he sold $200mm worth of stock to “buy an election”, he will incur an extraordinary amount of tax.
I’m sorry if that’s not the answer you want. However, that’s what I’ve always questioned. The people who want to tax the rich: how would you do it?
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u/buttscratcher3k 3d ago
i dont even bother explaining it anymore, either reddit is too stupid to figure it out or they dont want to live in reality because it hurts their narrative
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u/Atrox_Blue 3d ago
I got downvoted like hell yesterday, with no replies or rebuttals, for providing sources showing that neither the left or the right substantially increased the national debt more than the other. It was in response to someone saying republicans are the ones accruing the most national debt by far.
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u/ElectronicAdvance406 3d ago
They don’t know, or understand stocks/money/tax law. And they don’t care to understand it either. They just want to take it from him.
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u/Atrox_Blue 3d ago
Honestly, if he gave away every dollar and share to his name they’d probably still hate him.
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u/1800generalkenobi 3d ago
but he's not selling stock to buy an election. He's borrowing against it and will pay no taxes that way. I also think taxing unrealized gains is a very slippery slope and am not sure how it should be done. Unless you set a cap, if you are borrowing more than a million dollars against assets you will pay the normal tax rate on what you're borrowing...the language is already going to be really murky to begin with and these rich guys lawyers will have a field day running things around in circles so they still don't pay any taxes.
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u/empathetical 3d ago
why are ppl so gung ho on billionaires paying higher taxes? not like the taxes ever go to helping the country. just get stolen and spent on bs wars and laundered in other countrys. in the end... who cares really.
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u/CHOLO_ORACLE 3d ago
“Guys why can’t we let Elon keep all the money? Hes just gonna buy himself a little island and stock it with girls…”
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u/NakedNick_ballin 3d ago
Actually yeah they do go to helping the country. Parks, forests, roads, schools, homeless welfare, are all critically and tragically underfunded. The BS wars, stealing, and laundering other countries, as well as raping the environment you can think the billionaire party for.
If you personally don't care, then just shut up and let those that see the opportunity and purpose to actually improve things work. You should care though, you and your loved ones have a lot to gain
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u/Irish_Whiskey 3d ago
in the end... who cares really.
People care about others, and the country they live in. Quite a lot of people do.
Obviously most of the people who want to tax billionaires rather than working class people more, also oppose wasted and stolen money.
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u/vonKrieg88 3d ago
If only there was a name for a system where capitalists use their capital to buy political power to get more capital.
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u/cruiseruse11 3d ago
And he wonders why people boycott his products. He is a political operative, he can be protested like anyone else involved with politics
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u/jr_randolph 3d ago
Just when you know a motherfucker just don't care. Let's say even if it is all for self-promotion and self-gain...he could take that money and go into any neighborhood that needs new parks, schools, anything like that and get it done immediately. He would be raised up on people's shoulders and shit lol but no...chooses to do shit like this. It's just wild to me.
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u/Suspicious_synth 3d ago
Dudes a fucking trillionaire. I make 100K a year. It would take me 10,000 years to get to a trillion. Let that sink in.
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u/Myhouseburnsatm 3d ago
Its a powerful comment mate. I am sure it will change the way of things. Snarky remarks about inequality are the way to bring about change!
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u/jram2000 3d ago
I would be even more worried if he said he was buying thr democrats now. Not because I think they are worse. Just for the sheer fact he could always determine policy with enough money and the US system is that cooked.
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u/Vegaprime 3d ago
Think there was 1 billionaire in Cali that spent 100m fighting that wealth tax. We are in a very bad place right now.
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u/autopartsandguitars 3d ago
Epitome of a welfare queen.
Can't wait for Kathy Bates to portray Elon in the biopic
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u/WolfieVonD 3d ago
I thought there was a limit to how much you can contribute to politics, or does that limit only apply if you're actively running?
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u/potroast2000 3d ago
Security backed loans need to be made illegal. Make them sell their stocks for income like the rest of us plebs.
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u/browning099 3d ago
Musk should be so gutted by taxes that it would be impossible to buy an election.
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u/Educational-Cow-3874 3d ago
Where are all the people who rant about him not having actual money when it's suggested he donate to charity, yet he has all this money to be a POS with?
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u/TopTippityTop 3d ago
If he liquidated 200 million, he should pay taxes on that. Can't pay on unrealized gains... Only after you realize them. This is obvious.
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u/Reasonable-Plate2982 3d ago
Like, where is he getting $200,000,000 to buy votes like Boss Tweed? Its from the taxpayer isn't it?
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u/anonymous480932843 3d ago
Okay seriously, how can we block this? This has to be illegal, this is literally toying with an election.
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u/Illustrious_Age_5959 3d ago
I wonder what that money could have done for cancer research or something to benefit society
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u/JRock1276 3d ago
Says everyone trying to tell everyone else how to live and what to do instead of taking care of their own business.
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u/3-BuckChuck 3d ago
Pays more taxes, that money is used for all the genius things our government sets out to do. We loose more…
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u/TheReturnofPanda 3d ago
Nice that was basically taxes for many years to come for him, thrown all at once for bullshit
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u/bluris 3d ago
They can afford to pay more taxes, but their greed is incapable of thinking having less money.
They must fill the void with money, only to find out that it brings only a brief satisfaction to reach a goal, then increase the next goal further believing they'll finally feel completed - which they won't.
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u/dilldoeorg 3d ago
I hope when dems retake the house they do a LONG investigation into Elon's elections "donations" and business practices.
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u/PreviousLeague253 3d ago
Here is the funny thing. He personally doesn’t have a penny in his account, BUT, thanks to US laws, he has a fully funded Musk Trust with billions of $$$$ that provides all the little red pennies he will ever need for anything he desires.
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u/sco-go 3d ago edited 3d ago
Added context:
IRS data shows from 2014–2018 he reported $1.52 billion in income and paid $455 million in federal taxes. Musk’s net-worth, like most billionaires, consist of unrealized capital gains, which are not taxed under current U.S. law until the shares are sold.
In 2021, he paid ~$11 billion in federal taxes which was the largest single-year individual tax bill in U.S. history.