After losing one billionaire tax battle, Gavin Newsom prepares to wage another

2026 ElectionAfter losing one billionaire tax battle, Gavin Newsom prepares to wage anotherCalifornia’s governor, who is considering a White House run, proposed an expansive national wealth tax last week, as well as an initiative to give Americans a stake in AI. Listen to this article with a free profile00:0000:00California Gov. Gavin Newsom in Sacramento in December.David Paul Morris / Bloomberg via Getty Images fileShareAdd NBC News to GoogleJune 26, 2026, 9:00 AM EDTBy Natasha KoreckiAfter failing to block from the ballot a measure that would enact a billionaire tax in his state, California Gov. Gavin Newsom is now proposing a national wealth tax of his own. Limited time: Save 25% on NBC News subscriptionGet exclusive reporting, live Q&As and ad-free reading.In a lengthy Substack post and video released Friday morning, Newsom — who opposes a proposed one-time levy in his own state as he mulls a 2028 presidential run — said he instead supported a more expansive plan.His proposal would create a minimum tax on billionaires and a national public equity fund whereby Americans would own a stake in the artificial intelligence industry, as well as close tax loopholes for the ultra-wealthy. Newsom’s proposal would require billionaires and those with a net worth of at least $100 million to pay a minimum tax. “When 10% of the people in this country own two-thirds of the wealth, when we have minted the first trillionaire in human history, and yet your wages have stagnated, and your healthcare costs have skyrocketed, something is fundamentally broken,” Newsom wrote. “Over the decades, the American economy has been engineered for the very top, a story as old as time: Money buys influence, and influence rewrites the rules. Those rewritten rules funnel even more wealth to the few. Under this weight, democracy itself starts to buckle.” Newsom’s proposal comes as he positions himself for a 2028 White House bid, with potential presidential hopefuls well aware of what is top of...