Bill Gates's wealth tax criticism might be a problem for Elizabeth Warren

Bill Gates’s criticism of Elizabeth Warren’s wealth tax plan is likely to be a problem for the Democratic 2020 presidential hopeful, far more of a problem than if it had come from another billionaire.

Warren’s first issue is Gates’s moral authority. Speaking on Wednesday, Gates observed that “I’m all for super-progressive tax systems, I’ve paid over $10 billion in taxes. I’ve paid more than anyone in taxes. If I had to pay $20 billion, it’s fine.” But, Gates continued, “when you say I should pay $100 billion [in taxes], then I’m starting to do a little math about what I have leftover. You really want the incentive system to be there without threatening that.”