New Delhi: A group of wealthy individuals, including actor and filmmaker Mark Ruffalo, musician Brian Eno, and film producer and philanthropist Abigail Disney, has issued a sharp appeal to global leaders gathering at Davos, Switzerland, urging them to impose higher taxes on the world’s richest individuals to curb rising inequality and restore democratic balance.
In an open letter titled “Time to Win”, released during the World Economic Forum meeting, the signatories argue that decades of technological and economic progress have failed to benefit society at large. While innovation has transformed industries and improved living standards for some, they say it has also coincided with widening inequality, environmental damage, and the concentration of power in the hands of a small elite.
The letter notes that global connectivity and economic growth have not translated into shared prosperity. Instead, it claims the wealthiest one per cent now controls a disproportionate share of global resources, while political influence, media freedom, and access to innovation have increasingly fallen under the sway of ultra-rich individuals and corporations.
Describing the situation as unsustainable, the authors warn that unchecked wealth concentration is eroding democratic institutions, weakening public services, and deepening social divides across countries and generations. They argue that extreme wealth has enabled excessive control over governments, technology, and public discourse, accelerating both social exclusion and environmental harm.
Unusually, the appeal comes from millionaires themselves. The signatories say that even among the wealthy, there is growing recognition that extreme inequality has come at a cost to social stability and long-term progress. They call on elected leaders – from heads of state and ministers at Davos to local and regional policymakers – to act decisively.
The solution they propose is straightforward: higher taxes on the super-rich. The letter argues that wealth taxation enjoys broad public support and backing from many high-net-worth individuals, and could help rebuild public trust, fund essential services such as healthcare and education, and reduce the outsized influence of money in politics.
“Tax us,” the signatories conclude, calling for action that would ensure the next fifty years deliver on the promise of progress for everyone, not just a powerful few.
