San Francisco’s pro-billionaire march draws dozens

A march held in support of California’s billionaires failed to generate a large turnout on Saturday. According to the San Francisco Chronicle, roughly three dozen people participated in the event, joined by about another dozen counter-protesters who appeared largely tongue-in-cheek.

Organisers had tempered expectations in advance. Derik Kauffman, who put the march together, said beforehand that he anticipated attendance would be limited to “a few dozen” people. Still, the unusual concept behind the event — dubbed the “March for Billionaires” — sparked a far greater reaction online than it did on the streets. Mission Local reported that reporters covering the event nearly outnumbered the demonstrators themselves, many of whom carried signs reading messages such as “We love you, Jeffrey Bezos” and “It’s very difficult to write a nuanced argument on a sign.”

The stated purpose of the march was to oppose the Billionaire Tax Act. This proposed California ballot initiative would impose a one-time 5% tax on the total wealth of residents with a net worth exceeding $1 billion. Governor Gavin Newsom has already said that, should the measure pass, he would veto it.

Kauffman, the founder of the AI startup RunRL, is not a billionaire. Speaking with reporters at the event, he said, “California is, I believe, the only state to give health insurance to people who come into the country illegally. I think we probably should not be providing that.” In reality, 14 states currently offer health care coverage to undocumented immigrants.