"This is just the beginning": Patrick Bet-David reacts after Google co-founder Larry Page reportedly buys $173M properties to avoid $15B in taxes

Google I/O 2015 - Source: Getty
Google I/O 2015 - Source: Getty

Patrick Bet-David has reacted to Larry Page's reported move to Miami. This comes as California considers a proposed bill to levy a one-time 5% tax on billionaires.

According to Fortune, Larry Page had started moving his assets and companies out of California late last year after the bill was proposed. His family office, Koop, was incorporated in Delaware in December, moving from California. He also moved his other organizations, like Flu Lab LLC, One Aero, and Oceankind, to Delaware.

Moreover, the outlet reports that Page has purchased two properties in Miami, with a combined worth of around $173.4 million. He bought one property in the Coconut Grove neighborhood for $101.5 million, and another nearby for $71.9 million.

Businessman and media personality Patrick Bet-David commented on this move by Larry Page, writing on X (formerly Twitter) on Wednesday, October 21:

"This is just the beginning. Wealth tax will be a 2028 presidential campaign for some democratic candidates. This won’t just be a state by state issue."

According to Fortune's reports, Larry Page has a net worth of around $292 billion. Hence, if he moves away from California, he could save around $15 billion, with no such bill being passed in Miami, Florida.

Meanwhile, Bet-David has previously spoken up against California's proposed billionaire tax as well. When Bernie Sanders claimed that some billionaires are spending around $229 million against the tax, Bet-David wrote on X:

"Bernie, you don’t get it. They don’t work for you. You don’t own them. They risked everything to work for themselves. If you or Newsom choose to punish them, they’ll simply leave because they CAN."

Voters will decide on the tax, known as Proposition 40, on November 3.

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Larry Page joins numerous billionaires who have moved away from California and the West Coast amid tax plans

Google founders Larry Page (R) and Sergey Brin (L) - Source: Getty
Google founders Larry Page (R) and Sergey Brin (L) - Source: Getty

According to Fortune, Florida doesn't have an income, capital gains, or wealth tax, making it a lucrative place for billionaires. Hence, many of them have moved from the West Coast to Miami in recent years.

Former Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz reportedly bought a $44 million penthouse in Miami and moved there after spending decades in Seattle. It came after Washington was also planning on taxing billionaires. Amazon founder Jeff Bezos also moved from Seattle to Miami in late 2023, buying a $237 million compound.

Sergey Brin, who co-founded Google with Larry Page, also bought a home in Miami. Meanwhile, venture capitalist Peter Thiel left California to move to Miami as well.

Not all billionaires are against Proposition 40, though, as Nvidia chief executive Jensen Huang said he would be open to paying a one-time tax. When asked about potentially paying $8 billion in taxes, he said (h/t Biggo Finance):

"I don't mind paying taxes. The more you make, the more taxes you pay. I'm okay with that. I am the ultimate American Dream. The fact that I can afford to pay $8 billion in taxes over five years is a privilege. I'm not afraid of paying taxes. I'm just afraid of being poor."

When asked about other billionaires leaving California, Huang said that he hasn't "thought about it even once."


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Edited by Aditya Singh