Featured Image Credit: Eugene Gologursky / Stringer via Getty
Jeff Bezos has been incredibly vocal about a potentially major piece of financial policy in recent interviews, and a new proposition to New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani could perhaps see it implemented in the Big Apple.
Taxation is always a tricky topic for voters all across the world but especially in the United States, as America is home to many of the globe's richest individuals and thus possess one of the widest wealth gaps between the top and bottom percentages.
Almost all of the names occupying the list of the ten richest individuals either operate companies based in America or are American themselves, and their earnings contribute (or, hypothetically should contribute) significant amounts to the economy and political spending.
A growing sentiment among many people, however, is that billionaires should contribute a higher proportion of their earnings as tax — yet Jeff Bezos has proposed an unexpected new policy that could ease the burden for the bottom half.
Advert
It's something he's spoken about in recent interviews and on social media – especially relative to claims that spending money on his companies will progress the world far more than charitable contributions ever could – but he recently echoed it again in response to New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani.
Quoting a post on X where Mamdani outlines the introduction of the 'Commission on Government Efficiency' (COGE) – a plan to "find ways for our city to work smarter, faster, and more efficiently for working people" – Bezos wrote:
"This is great and they do deserve that. And, with some of the savings, we can zero out taxes on the bottom half of earners. The best way to put money in people's pockets is not to take it out in the first place."
This plan would seemingly remove income tax for anyone below the 50% bracket for earnings — although it's unclear whether this is based on average earnings or median salary.
This is great and they do deserve that. And, with some of the savings, we can zero out taxes on the bottom half of earners. The best way to put money in people's pockets is not to take it out in the first place. https://t.co/VjvUNm97Cu
— Jeff Bezos (@JeffBezos) May 28, 2026
Understandably this would cause a significant financial burden for the city of New York – and the wider country if it was implemented across the nation – but Mayor Mamdani's plans for cuts do hypothetically introduce a way to cover the gap.
Bezos previously indicated that the bottom half contributes just 3% of total tax revenue across the United States, but that could add a lot more to the yearly earnings for Americans.
Some have speculated that this could come at an even greater cost, however, as public services could go up in price at the point of use which could in turn create an even greater individual burden than taxation would have collectively provided.
Additionally, it's clear the Bezos doesn't necessarily think that he should also be footing the bill for the loss in tax revenue for the government, effectively avoiding the growing conversation surrounding higher taxes for billionaires by proposing an alternative solution.
