United CEO Defends Profits, Urges Steep Wealth and Estate Taxes
WHO:
Fox Business - Harmeet K. Dhillon, assistant attorney general for the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, criticized United’s service after her recent flights.
Bloomberg Markets - Scott Kirby, United Airlines’ CEO, discussed the airline’s profitability, fuel costs, customer demand, and U.S. tax and social policy on “Bloomberg Surveillance.”
Fortune - Kirby said he supports higher taxes on wealthy people, including a national wealth tax and inheritance taxes that could approach 100%; he said, “I would pay them.”
Fortune - Kirby’s total compensation was $32.28 million, while United’s median employee received $96,670, according to the company’s proxy statement.
Fortune - Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry responded to Kirby on X, saying that if Kirby felt strongly about taxes, “he could simply cut a check.” Landry linked to the Treasury’s public-donation fund to pay down the national debt.
Fortune - Other business leaders cited as supporting higher taxes on the rich include Bill Gates and Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff. JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon said he understood anti-rich sentiment in some communities.
WHAT:
Fox Business - Kirby said some passengers want a window seat or a better seat, “and that costs money to deliver.”
Fox Business - The article reported that some social media users threatened to stop flying United.
Fox Business - Dhillon wrote on X, “The WiFi didn’t work on my last two flights.”
Fox Business - Kirby defended charging extra for some seating options, saying, “There are some customers who want to sit in a window seat or a better seat, and that costs money to deliver.”
Fox Business - Social media users criticized Kirby’s comments; one urged him to focus on “Flight safety, price, timeliness” and objected to “charging $500 for basic 2 hour domestic routes.”
Bloomberg Markets - Kirby said United was “still solidly profitable” as fuel costs rose and discussed the company’s ability to pass on higher fuel costs amid continued customer-demand strength.
Fortune - Kirby said, “Wealth inequality has become a danger to our society, and we need to address that.” He argued a wealth tax would need to be national because “people will just move” if it were imposed by states.
Fortune - Kirby’s compensation included $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.
Fortune - CEO pay rose 11% while worker pay rose 0.5%, according to a study by the International Trade Union Confederation and Oxfam.
Fortune - One in five Americans surveyed said it was morally wrong to be a billionaire.
Fortune - The U.S. has no federal inheritance tax. The federal estate tax applies to estates, has a top marginal rate of 40%, and a $15 million basic exclusion amount for people who die in 2026.
WHERE:
Fortune - United is headquartered in Chicago; Kirby lives in the Dallas area.
Fortune - United advertised a part-time airport customer-service position in the Dallas area, starting at $19.64 an hour.
WHEN:
Fox Business - United’s 2026 proxy statement reported Kirby’s 2025 compensation and the median employee compensation.
Fortune - United’s proxy statement reported Kirby’s total compensation for 2025.
Fortune - Federal Reserve data showed the richest 1% of U.S. households held 32.5% of national net worth in the second quarter of 2026, up from 31.1% a year earlier; the bottom half held 2.3%, down from 2.4%.
Fortune - Kirby joined United as president in 2016 and became CEO in 2020.
WHY:
Fortune - Kirby made his tax comments in response to a question about declining public trust in CEOs.
Fortune - Kirby said state-level wealth taxes would not work because wealthy people could move to another state.
HOW:
Fortune - Kirby did not specify a wealth-tax threshold or the inheritance amount that would trigger a rate approaching 100%.
Fortune - The federal estate tax is paid by an estate rather than by heirs; a handful of states levy inheritance taxes.
(UPDATED October 21, 2026 21:18 UTC)
United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby is defending extra charges for preferred seats while also arguing that wealthy Americans should pay more in taxes. He said wealth inequality is a danger to society and backed a national wealth tax and inheritance taxes that could approach 100%, adding, “I would pay them.” Kirby said state-level wealth taxes would prompt people to move. Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry challenged him to donate directly toward the national debt. Kirby’s 2025 compensation totaled $32.28 million, compared with $96,670 for United’s median employee. On service, assistant attorney general Harmeet Dhillon said the Wi-Fi failed on her last two flights. Kirby said window and better seats cost more to provide, drawing criticism from social media users who cited fares, punctuality and safety. He also said United remains profitable despite rising fuel costs and strong customer demand.
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(UPDATED October 21, 2026 20:16 UTC)
United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby says he supports higher taxes on the wealthy, including a national wealth tax and inheritance taxes that could approach 100 percent. Asked about declining trust in CEOs, he said wealth inequality poses a danger to society and that state-level taxes would prompt wealthy people to move. Kirby did not define a tax threshold or inheritance amount. His 2025 compensation was $32.28 million, compared with median employee pay of $96,670. Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry responded that Kirby could simply donate money to the national debt. Kirby also said United remains profitable despite rising fuel costs and defended extra charges for preferred seats. Justice Department official Harmeet Dhillon, meanwhile, complained that Wi-Fi failed on her last two United flights. Federal Reserve data show the richest 1 percent held 32.5 percent of U.S. household wealth in 2026’s second quarter, while the bottom half held 2.3 percent.
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(UPDATED October 21, 2026 16:11 UTC)
United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby says the carrier remains solidly profitable despite rising fuel costs, with customer demand strong and the airline able to pass along some of those costs. In a discussion about declining public trust in CEOs, Kirby also backed higher taxes on wealthy people, including a national wealth tax and inheritance taxes that could approach 100 percent. He said he would pay them, and argued a state-by-state wealth tax would fail because people could move. Kirby did not set out a tax threshold or specify what inheritance might face the highest rate. His 2025 compensation totaled $32.28 million, compared with $96,670 for United’s median employee. Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry challenged Kirby to send money directly to the Treasury’s national-debt donation fund. Federal data show the richest one percent held 32.5 percent of U.S.