Bloomberg Tax reported that United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby said Oct. 21 that gains passed to heirs without the original owner realizing the gain should be taxed, putting U.S. treatment of accumulated wealth in focus.
Bloomberg Tax described Kirby’s remarks during a television appearance and said he framed the issue as one of fairness. He gave no tax rate or threshold and did not outline how a levy would work.
In an Oct. 18 interview, The New York Times reported that Kirby favored a nationwide wealth tax because a state-only levy could prompt people to relocate. He also supported inheritance taxes approaching 100% at an unspecified level. EconoTimes previously covered Kirby’s national tax proposals.
United Airlines Holdings, Inc.’s 2026 proxy statement lists Kirby’s total fiscal 2025 compensation at $32,282,253. The filing breaks that down into $22,565,804 in stock awards, $8,010,000 in non-equity incentive compensation, $1.2 million in salary and $506,449 in other compensation. The total includes categories beyond salary, so it is not a measure of cash salary alone.
The filing estimated median employee compensation at $96,670 and put the CEO-to-median ratio at about 334 to 1. United cautioned that employers may calculate the figure differently. EconoTimes previously reported the pay comparison.
Inherited property generally takes a tax basis tied to its fair market value at the prior owner’s death; an estate may elect an alternate valuation date. If heirs later sell for more than that basis, the difference may count as taxable gain. The basis rule affects gain when heirs sell property, while estate tax operates separately. The IRS sets the federal estate-tax basic exclusion at $15 million for people who die in 2026.
Kirby said in a CNBC interview that he favors lower income taxes alongside higher taxes on wealth gains. The reports identified no scheduled vote or decision tied to his comments.
