‘I hate it’: Jake questions inheritance taxes after United Airlines CEO’s near 100% proposal

KIRO host Jake Skorheim challenged United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby’s call for inheritance taxes approaching 100% at some level, arguing that people should be able to leave the money they have earned and saved to their children.

On “The Jake and Spike Show” on KIRO Newsradio, Jake and co-host Spike O’Neill debated wealth inequality, government spending, and when taxation becomes excessive.

“I hate it,” Jake said during the discussion of inheritance taxes.

Kirby advocated a national wealth tax and inheritance taxes approaching 100% above an unspecified threshold in an interview with The New York Times. He did not propose applying that inheritance tax rate to every estate, Fortune reported.

“We should have a national wealth tax — it won’t work by state because people will just move. And I think we should have inheritance taxes that get close to 100% at some level. I would pay them,” Kirby told The New York Times, according to Fortune.

Jake argues families should decide where their money goes

Jake questioned the morality of government taking a substantial share of someone’s accumulated wealth when they die.

He argued that high taxes on wealth transferred after death could undermine the incentive to work, save, and practice delayed gratification.

“Now that’s money that’s already been taxed. It’s double taxing,” Jake said.

“That doesn’t seem right,” he added.

Jake recalled his parents emphasizing the importance of waiting and saving for things rather than expecting immediate rewards. He argued that people who practice those habits should retain control over what they leave behind.

He also questioned whether Kirby’s willingness to pay such a tax would translate into an actual financial sacrifice, suggesting wealthy people could use trusts and other arrangements to reduce their exposure. That was Jake’s speculation, not evidence of Kirby’s financial plans.

Spike supports taxation but rejects the near-100% rate

Spike agreed with Kirby’s broader concern about wealth inequality and the limits of addressing it state by state.

He argued that wealthy people can relocate to lower-tax states after benefiting from the communities where they built their fortunes.

But Spike did not support making a near-100% inheritance tax mandatory. He initially characterized the number as hyperbolic and suggested Kirby could voluntarily contribute his money instead.

“There’s something about passing down generational wealth to your kids. That’s the American dream: is to leave your kids better off than you got,” Spike said.

Spike explained that he wants his children to inherit something from him, including the equity he hopes to build in his home.

“I’m not a big proponent of a death tax or inheritance tax,” he said.

When does taxation become excessive?

The hosts’ broader disagreement centered on government’s role and whether taxpayers receive sufficient value for their money.

Spike defended taxation as necessary to fund services such as police and fire departments while acknowledging that governments could manage public money better.

Jake argued that wasteful spending makes demands for additional taxes harder to justify.

Near the end of the discussion, Spike asked whether a reasonable level of taxation is worth paying to support a safe society.

“And that’s the question. Yeah, that’s the double-edged sword. Is when does it cross over into excessive?” Jake said.

Watch the full discussion in the video above.

Listen to “The Jake and Spike Show” weekdays from noon to 3 p.m. on KIRO Newsradio 97.3