[mattsoldo]

This isn't the correct way to model wealth tax's effect on founder equity. Paul's model doesn't account for the changing value of equity over time.

When a startup was at the seed stage and worth say $5mm, a founder with a 50% stake would be paying $25,000 / year with a 1% tax. If the company grew and received a b-round of investment valuing it at $150mm, with the founder diluted to 20% ownership, the wealth tax on the $30mm in equity would be $300,000. As you can see the tax rate changes over time significantly.

There would likely be some unexpected consequences. Founders would re-consider sky-high valuations during funding rounds because of the effect on their tax rate. Startups may consider generating real cash-flow earlier on in order to issue dividends to their shareholders to cover the wealth tax instead of selling shares. If equity holders did sell shares to cover the tax, there would be a more liquid secondary market, which could make "house-of-cards" startup more apparent early on.