Key Takeaways
- • United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby earned $32.28 million in 2025 per the company's proxy statement, roughly 334 times the compensation of the median United employee ($96,670).
- • Kirby called for a national wealth tax, arguing a state-by-state approach "won't work" because people would relocate, and for inheritance taxes "that get close to 100% at some level," saying "I would pay them."
- • Kirby did not specify wealth tax thresholds or the inheritance tax level at which near-100% rates would apply, and United did not respond to Fortune's questions on the matter.
- • The richest 1% of U.S. households held 32.5% of national net worth in Q2 2026, up from 31.1% a year earlier, per Federal Reserve data.
- • The U.S. has no federal inheritance tax; the federal estate tax carries a 40% top marginal rate with a $15 million basic exclusion for 2026 deaths, according to the IRS.
Summary
United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby has publicly called for a national wealth tax and inheritance taxes approaching 100%, stating in an interview with the New York Times published on a Sunday that "wealth inequality has become a danger to our society." The comments came in response to a question about declining public trust in CEOs. Kirby, who joined United as president in 2016 and became CEO in 2020, said that a wealth tax should be national because "it won't work by state because people will just move." He also said, "I would pay them," referring to the proposed inheritance taxes.
Kirby's own compensation illustrates the gap he described. According to United's proxy statement, his total 2025 pay was $32.28 million, including $1.2 million in base salary, $22.6 million in stock awards, $8 million in non-equity incentive compensation, and roughly $500,000 in other compensation. The median United employee received $96,670 in total compensation. Separately, a study by the International Trade Union Confederation and Oxfam found that CEO pay rose 11% in 2025 while worker pay rose 0.5%. United advertised a part-time airport customer service role in the Dallas area, where Kirby lives, at $19.64 an hour; at 40 hours per week with no raises, bonuses, or overtime, reaching Kirby's 2025 compensation would take roughly 790 years.
According to Federal Reserve data, the richest 1% of American households held 32.5% of total net worth in the second quarter of 2026, up from 31.1% a year earlier, while the bottom half held 2.3%, down from 2.4%. Other executives have also addressed public sentiment: JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon said in July that he understands anti-rich sentiment in some communities. Not all reaction was favorable; Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry wrote on X that if Kirby feels that strongly, "he could simply cut a check," linking to the Treasury's fund for public donations to pay down the national debt.
Kirby did not specify a threshold for the proposed wealth tax or the level of inheritance at which a near-100% rate would apply. The U.S. currently has no federal inheritance tax, though several states levy one. The federal estate tax, paid by the estate rather than heirs, has a 40% top marginal rate and a $15 million basic exclusion for people who die in 2026, per the IRS. Kirby has recently drawn attention for reported interest in acquiring American Airlines. Fortune asked United whether Kirby believes CEO-employee pay gaps contribute to inequality and what tax thresholds he would support; the airline did not respond.
Kirby's own compensation illustrates the gap he described. According to United's proxy statement, his total 2025 pay was $32.28 million, including $1.2 million in base salary, $22.6 million in stock awards, $8 million in non-equity incentive compensation, and roughly $500,000 in other compensation. The median United employee received $96,670 in total compensation. Separately, a study by the International Trade Union Confederation and Oxfam found that CEO pay rose 11% in 2025 while worker pay rose 0.5%. United advertised a part-time airport customer service role in the Dallas area, where Kirby lives, at $19.64 an hour; at 40 hours per week with no raises, bonuses, or overtime, reaching Kirby's 2025 compensation would take roughly 790 years.
According to Federal Reserve data, the richest 1% of American households held 32.5% of total net worth in the second quarter of 2026, up from 31.1% a year earlier, while the bottom half held 2.3%, down from 2.4%. Other executives have also addressed public sentiment: JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon said in July that he understands anti-rich sentiment in some communities. Not all reaction was favorable; Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry wrote on X that if Kirby feels that strongly, "he could simply cut a check," linking to the Treasury's fund for public donations to pay down the national debt.
Kirby did not specify a threshold for the proposed wealth tax or the level of inheritance at which a near-100% rate would apply. The U.S. currently has no federal inheritance tax, though several states levy one. The federal estate tax, paid by the estate rather than heirs, has a 40% top marginal rate and a $15 million basic exclusion for people who die in 2026, per the IRS. Kirby has recently drawn attention for reported interest in acquiring American Airlines. Fortune asked United whether Kirby believes CEO-employee pay gaps contribute to inequality and what tax thresholds he would support; the airline did not respond.
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