HLSalumin2's comments

HLSalumin2 | 5 years ago | on: Modeling a Wealth Tax

This just isn't true.

Lets go through an analysis of this looking at a real word scenario, but ignoring Federal Income Tax since that wouldn't change the situation.

Assume you sell your company and earn $10M.

In CA, you're taxed at 13% right away, and so have $8.7M. Lets say you earn 3% returns each year. Modest but not great. You're taxed another 13% on that 3% by California, meaning you actually earn 2.61% returns. After 60 years, if you leave the money untouched and tax laws don't change, you'll have just under $41M.

If there was a state that had no income tax (say, Texas or Florida) and charged a .5% wealth tax, it would go like this. You'd have $9.95M after paying taxes when selling your business. After a year of investing at 3% returns, you'd have $10.248M, on which you'd be taxed .5%. After taxes, you'd have $10.197M. Do that for 60 years, and you'd end up with more than $43M

While PG says that "Even a .5% wealth tax would start to keep founders away from a state or country that imposed it", it hasn't. California state income tax is higher, and that is where Zuck, PG, Larry Paige, Brian Chesky and a bunch of other people live.

HLSalumin2 | 10 years ago | on: GM to Acquire Autonomous-Vehicle Technology Developer Cruise Automation (YC W14)

The acquisition price can't be right. If the price was north of $1B, GM would be required to file and disclose the price as the acquisition was material. GM itself is worth less than $50B, so an acquisition for over 2% of the value of the company certainly would be considered material and require disclosure to the SEC and investors. That price can't be right.
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