Elizabeth Warren would be 'happy' to sit down with billionaire Bill Gates and explain her wealth tax

• 2020 Democratic candidate Sen. Elizabeth Warren said she would be open to meeting with billionaire Microsoft founder and philanthropist Bill Gates to discuss her proposed wealth tax, after the billionaire said he thought his taxes would amount to $100 billion.
• Gates appeared at The New York Times Dealbook Conference on Wednesday, where he discussed the potential that the wealth tax has for driving away "innovative" companies or entrepreneurs in the US.
• The senator from Massachusetts replied to Gates in a tweet, saying she would be happy to meet with people who have "different views" from her.
• Warren is not one to shy away from challenging large companies and billionaires; she is also known for calling out big tech companies like Facebook.
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Democratic 2020 candidate Sen. Elizabeth Warren said she would be open to meeting with billionaire philanthropist Bill Gates to discuss her proposed wealth tax after the billionaire said he thought his taxes would amount to $100 billion.

Gates appeared at The New York Times Dealbook Conference on Wednesday, where he discussed the potential that the wealth tax has for driving away "innovative" companies or entrepreneurs in the US.

"I've paid over $10 billion in taxes. I've paid more than anyone in taxes. If I had to pay $20 billion, it's fine," Gates said at the conference. "But when you say I should pay $100 billion, okay then I'm starting to do a little math about what I have left over."

"I'm not sure how open minded she is - or that she'd even be willing to sit down with somebody who has large amounts of money," the billionaire continued.

The senator from Massachusetts replied to Gates in a tweet, saying she would be "happy" to meet with people who have "different views" from her.

"I'm always happy to meet with people, even if we have different views. @BillGates, if we get the chance, I'd love to explain exactly how much you'd pay under my wealth tax. (I promise it's not $100 billion.)" Warren wrote in a tweet.

As one of her many plans, Warren proposed the wealth tax - "2% tax on every dollar of net worth above $50 million and a 3% tax on every dollar of net worth above $1 billion," her website explains - to fund to other causes, like child care, education, and paying off student loans.

Warren is not one to shy away from challenging large companies and billionaires. She is also known for calling out big tech companies like Facebook. Most recently, the senator sparred with Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg over the social media site's policy on political advertising.

Gates has previously said that his taxes should be raised. "I've paid more taxes, over $10 billion, than anyone else, but the government should require people in my position to pay significantly higher taxes," he said in a 2018 CNN interview.

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• The wealth gap took center stage at last night's debate. Here's a side-by-side comparison of how Elizabeth Warren's and Bernie Sanders' wealth tax plans stack up.
• Wealth tax explainer: Why Bernie Sanders, Elizabeth Warren and billionaires like George Soros alike are calling for a specialized tax on the ultra-wealthy
• The wealth tax once again dominated last night's Democratic debate. Here's how much money America's 10 wealthiest people would have if the US had a moderate wealth tax.
• A majority of Americans approve of Elizabeth Warren's new tax on the wealthy, according to a new poll
• Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren are calling for massive wealth taxes on the super-rich. Voters like it so much that moderate 2020 Democrats are coming around.