Tech

Chan Zuckerberg co-founder Priscilla Chan: 'Paying higher taxes is not a bad thing, we should be doing that'

Key Points
  • Priscilla Chan, who co-founded the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative with her husband, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg, is supporting higher taxes for the wealthy.
  • "For people who can afford it, paying higher taxes is not a bad thing," Chan says at the South by Southwest conference in Austin, Texas. "We should be doing that."
Priscilla Chan, co-founder of the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative
Patrick T. Fallon | Bloomberg | Getty Images

Priscilla Chan, who co-founded the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative with her husband, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg, is supporting higher taxes for the wealthy.

"For people who can afford it, paying higher taxes is not a bad thing," Chan said Friday at the South by Southwest conference in Austin, Texas. "We should be doing that."

Chan's comments came during an interview with CNN journalist Poppy Harlow, who asked Chan if she was in support of higher taxes for the wealthy. Harlow followed by asking Chan if she supported Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez's proposal for a 70 percent wealth tax.

"I don't know enough about her proposal, but I do think we should be thoughtful about how we can get more resources for these important systems," Chan responded.

During the session, Chan spoke about her organization's philanthropic initiatives in science, education and prison reform. Her comments come on the same day as 2020 presidential candidate Sen. Elizabeth Warren unveiled a new plan to break up large tech companies like Facebook and Amazon.

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