Time Magazine is facing criticism for naming Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk its “Person of the Year” for 2021, with some lawmakers pointing out …
Time Magazine is facing criticism for naming Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk its “Person of the Year” for 2021, with some lawmakers pointing out how much the billionaire has paid in taxes in relation to his overall wealth. In a fundraising email on Monday, Rep. Pramila Jayapal ’s (D-Wash.) team said, “We can’t believe Time Magazine just named Elon Musk its ‘Person of the Year,’” adding that the chief executive is “the richest person in the world and yet he avoids paying his taxes while working families struggle to put food on the table and pay rent.” ProPublica released a report in June on the amount in taxes the richest Americans have paid, including Musk. According to the report, the billionaire paid $68,000 in federal income taxes in 2015, $65,000 in 2017 and no federal income taxes in 2018. Musk offered an explanation for his low tax payment that month. Jayapal’s fundraising email wrote that “the rich have only gotten richer and the wealthy have watched their profits skyrocket” amid the pandemic, while a number of individuals have lost their jobs and health care. The congresswoman’s team said magazines should be applauding frontline heroes and individuals stumping for equality rather than billionaires like Musk.
