That is not an easy question to answer. The approach you suggested is certainly one that could be considered. You mention that most people would sell those shares for cash.. well that is cash in their hands then. That is money they didn't have before that they now have, that they can then spend on goods and services correct? Is it not redistribution of the wealth of the deceased within society?
It sounds like you agree with the principle, but are worried about the implementation. I would likely consider myself to be in the same boat. However, I am not even seeing any public conversation about it, or an attempt to move in that direction. I think the conversation should be
"This is what we want to do, this is fair wealth redistribution.. now let us come up with ideas on how we can make this work".
Because if sold quickly, it will crash the price of shares. So instead of a share being worth $3000 like it is now, it could cause a short term event where the people that need cash the most would only be able to get $100 for a share, which will get swooped by people who have disposable income to blow on investments.
It would just re-consolidate the wealth in the hands of wealthy people.
Sure, that's probably somewhat better than having it in the hands of 1 person, e.g Bezos, but is it better than other alternatives? Like just giving people stimulus checks in cash?
Sorry, but this stance is outright ignorant. What do you mean return to society ? His wealth is Amazon, the company, dozens of warehouses and an incredible logistics chain.
His wealth currently provides a pretty damn good service to society, in the form of being able to get items delivered fairly quickly and contact-less in the time of a pandemic.
Are you proposing we take his Amazon holdings after his death and give every person in the county a fractional share? Or however many shares it comes out to?
That's certainly a possibility, but the realistic outcome of that is that most people try to sell their shares for cash right away, thereby crashing the price, and most shares ending up in institutional investment banks and funds within the first year.
I'm not against a stronger estate tax either, but you have to be real careful when you're trying to divvy up massive amounts of wealth on a short time scale and think of the second order effects.