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> At some point the loan must be paid back

And in the meantime, they get to retain the full power and influence that comes with the stock/company that they control. The wealth inequality issue is as much about power dynamics as it is about dollars and cents.

> borrow without collateral

And it would be trivial to write the law to prevent that loophole. If a person has any unrealized gain over a certain amount, then any personal loan, secured or not, would qualify for some sort of realized gain tax.

Personally, I think it is simpler and more elegant to implement a wealth tax. It would encourage the wealthy to take more income or dividends to cover the tax, and it would also help shift investments towards more profitable/cash flow positive ventures. For example, all of the tech unicorns burning loads of VC money to acquire negative cash flow would be penalized under such a scenario.




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