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United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby is facing criticism over his support for a national wealth tax and inheritance taxes approaching 100%, with a senior Justice Department official joining the backlash by taking a jab at the airline’s service.
Harmeet K. Dhillon, assistant attorney general for the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, weighed in on the controversy with a post on X about her recent experience flying United.
“The WiFi didn’t work on my last two flights,” Dhillon wrote.
Her comment followed Kirby’s remarks in a recent interview with The New York Times, in which he warned that growing wealth inequality poses a “danger” to American society.
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“We should have a national wealth tax — it won’t work by state because people will just move,” Kirby told the Times. “And I think we should have inheritance taxes that get close to 100 percent at some level. I would pay them.”
Kirby’s position has also drawn attention to his own compensation. The United CEO received about $32.3 million in total compensation in fiscal year 2025, including salary, stock awards and performance incentives. That was roughly 334 times the $96,670 median employee compensation reported by the airline, according to United’s 2026 proxy statement.
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Beyond his tax proposals, Kirby also addressed United’s pricing practices during the interview, defending the airline’s decision to charge passengers more for certain seating options.
“There are some customers who want to sit in a window seat or a better seat, and that costs money to deliver,” Kirby said.
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His comments prompted criticism from some social media users, with some threatening to stop flying United and others urging Kirby to focus on ticket prices and customer service.
One user wrote that Kirby should focus on “Flight safety, price, timeliness,” adding, “How about we start with not charging $500 for basic 2 hour domestic routes?”
FOX Business’ Stepheny Price contributed to this report.
