Liberal Steven Spielberg Flees California Over Taxes
20th February 2026
Legendary and liberal director Steven Spielberg has moved from California to Manhattan as some of the state’s wealthiest residents weigh leaving the Golden State ahead of a controversial wealth tax targeting billionaires that voters are set to consider.
The proposed 2026 Billionaire Tax Act, sponsored by the healthcare union Service Employees International Union-United Healthcare Workers West, would impose a one-time levy on California residents worth more than $1 billion, taxing the equivalent of 5% of their assets.
Supporters say it could generate about $100 billion in revenue for the state.
Spielberg spokeswoman Terry Press insisted that the move is not related to the tax, but had been “both long-planned and driven purely by his and [wife] Kate Capshaw’s desire to be closer to their New York-based children and grandchildren,” The New York Post reported Friday.
Press did not respond to questions about Spielberg’s views on the proposed tax.
The rats, having chewed numerous holes in the hull, flee the sinking ship.
UPDATE: Steven Spielberg Flees California Amid Raging Wealth Tax Battle