400 Millionaires Ask World Leaders: Tax Us More

Nearly 400 millionaires and billionaires just did something unexpected: they asked to pay more taxes.

The group released an open letter this week timed with the World Economic Forum in Davos, where global leaders gather each year. Their message pulls no punches about what extreme wealth is doing to the world.

"A handful of global oligarchs with extreme wealth have bought up our democracies, taken over our governments, gagged the freedom of our media, placed a stranglehold on technology and innovation, deepened poverty and social exclusion, and accelerated the breakdown of our planet," the letter reads.

The signatories are calling for higher taxes on the super-rich to address widening inequality. They're part of a growing movement that includes groups like Patriotic Millionaires, which has active chapters in the U.S. and U.K., and Resource Generation.

The numbers behind their call are staggering. Last year alone, billionaire wealth surged by $2.5 trillion, according to Oxfam International.

That's enough money to end extreme poverty 26 times over. While billions struggle, the ultra-wealthy keep accumulating resources at historic rates.

Why This Inspires

What makes this moment different is who's speaking up. These aren't activists or politicians demanding change from the outside.

These are the people who've benefited most from the current system, now saying it's broken. They're using their platforms and privilege to advocate for policies that would cost them personally but help everyone else.

Organizations working on wealth inequality have been building momentum for years, and this letter shows their message is reaching even those at the very top. When nearly 400 of the world's wealthiest people agree the system needs fixing, that's a signal that change might actually be possible.

The letter landed at Davos like a challenge: will world leaders listen to what even the rich are saying needs to happen?