Google Co-Founders May Be Leaving California

Google Co-Founders May Be Leaving California

Google Co-Founders May Be Leaving California—And It’s Not Just About the Weather Are Google co-founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin really leaving California? Recent filings suggest yes—and tax policy may be the driving force. According to a New York Times report, both billionaires have significantly scaled back their legal and financial footprints in the state where they launched one of the world’s most influential tech companies. With a controversial ballot measure proposing a 5% one-time tax on billionaires, their moves could signal a broader shift among ultra-wealthy Californians. Credit: James Leynse/Corbis / Getty Images Why Now? The Billionaire Tax Looms Large At the heart of this exodus is a proposed California ballot initiative that would impose a one-time 5% tax on individuals with net worths exceeding $1 billion. If approved by voters in November 2026 and enacted, the tax would apply retroactively to anyone who was a California resident as of January 1, 2026. For billionaires li…