Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang says ‘nothing would give me more joy’ than to pay more taxes: ‘I’m just afraid of being poor’

While California faces a billionaire exodus ahead of its November 3 wealth tax vote, Nvidia co-founder and CEO Jensen Huang says he’d happily pay more to the tax man.

During a recent interview with CBS News, Huang — whose net worth Forbes recently pegged at more than $197 billion — was asked about the prospect of having to pay up to $8 billion in taxes over five years if Proposition 40 passes. He responded that “it’s a privilege, it’s a responsibility” to pay taxes and that “nothing would give me more joy” than to pay more.

Must Read

“The fact that I can afford to pay $8 billion in taxes over five years is a privilege,” the 63-year-old explained. “The more you make, the more taxes you pay. So, I’m okay with that.”

Proposition 40 — a one-off wealth tax on 5% of the net worth of any billionaire living in the state as of January 1 of this year — would, in theory, generate billions of dollars primarily for public healthcare services but also for education and food assistance programs. It’s estimated that California is currently home to around 260 billionaires — the most of any state — and that the tax could raise more than $108 billion in revenue. California also has the highest combined federal and state income tax rate, which tops out at 50.3%.

Neither Huang or Nvidia replied to Moneywise’s request for comment, but the billionaire told CBS that he’s “not…