‘March for Billionaires’ overwhelmed by socialists as tax battle hits San Francisco streets

A small group of pro-wealth activists clashed with socialist demonstrators Saturday over California’s proposed “billionaire’s tax,” as dueling protests played out on the streets of San Francisco.

The rally, dubbed the “March for Billionaires,” drew supporters of the state’s ultra-wealthy residents, who are in the crosshairs of a proposal that would force them to hand over five percent of their net worth to California each year.

Organizer Derik Kauffman said many onlookers assumed the march was a joke, given it was staged in ultra-liberal San Francisco.

“Vilifying billionaires is popular. Losing them is expensive,” reads a message on the event’s official website.
“California benefits enormously when entrepreneurs choose to build here. We’re currently watching them leave.”

Kauffman, co-founder of AI startup RunRL, told The California Post the group had two goals, to promote the value billionaires bring to the economy and to oppose the proposed wealth tax.

He stressed he was not acting on behalf of the super-rich and said he had not received funding from billionaires.

But the march, which began at 11 a.m. Saturday at Alta Plaza Park in Pacific Heights and continued to the Civic Center, was quickly outnumbered by well-organized counter-protesters, who shouted chants of “billionaire brown-nosers.”

Counter-protesters handed out fake treats named after Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos. “How’d it taste?” one demonstrator shouted.

March organizers responded with their own chant, “If you eat the rich today, there’ll be no one left to pay.”

Among the counter-protesters was Razelle Swimmer, dressed as the Swedish Chef from The Muppets, who described herself as a “protest artist.”

“I saw an opportunity to highlight the absurdity of the sincerity of these people who somehow think billionaires need support, when really they’ve used our support to hoard our resources,” she said.

Kauffman also took aim at Service Employees International Union–paid signature gatherers, a common tactic across California politics to qualify ballot measures.

“We’re standing up for what is not exactly a popular group around here,” he said.

“Bernie Sanders has said he doesn’t think anyone should be a billionaire,” Kauffman added. “I think everyone should be a billionaire.”

A group of pro-wealth advocates clashed with socialists over California’s proposed “billionaire’s tax” on Saturday.

Organizer of the march, Derik Kauffman, said many assumed the march was a ”joke” as it was being conducted in ultra-liberal San Francisco

“Vilifying billionaires is popular. Losing them is expensive,” reads a message on the event’s official website.

Follow The Post’s coverage of California’s wealth tax

“California benefits enormously when entrepreneurs choose to build here. We’re currently watching them leave.”

Kauffman — cofounder of the AI startup RunRL — told The California Post the group had two goals, spreading the message about the ”value” billionaires have for the economy and also to argue against a new tax.

He said he isn’t acting on behalf of the super-rich and hasn’t received any funding from billionaires personally.

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When the march, which began at 11 a.m. Saturday at Alta Plaza Park in Pacific Heights and continued to the Civic Center, were far outnumbered by well-organized counter-protesters shouting ”billionaire brown-nosers.”

Kauffman took issue with Service Employees International Union paying signature gatherers, a common tactic on all sides of California politics to put measures on the statewide ballot.

“We’re standing up for what is not exactly popular group around here,” he said.

“Bernie Sanders has said he doesn’t think anyone should be a billionaire,” Kauffman said. “I think everyone should be a billionaire.”