because they can take loans against their paper wealth and spend that as income. and as a bonus they get to write any interest payments off of their taxes.

This isn’t true and is a nice internet trope.

Never mind that “wealth” can evaporate as quickly as it’s created, the numbers don’t make sense at for “borrow until you die”.

If you think it does I challenge you to do it. Instead of selling taxable equities during retirement, just borrow against them then let your heirs get them tax free when you die.

You can insanely cheap margin loans against your holdings if you keep the ratios high. Like 1-2%. Sure it won’t add up to much but you can do it.

Then kept rolling it over for 20+ years and tell me how 1-2% interest is less than a 25% capital gains tax.

Maybe if you’re going to die within a few years (and can time your death).

Then explain why if it works so well why Musk paid $10B in taxes when he sold Tesla stock if it works so well.

> Then explain why if it works so well why Musk paid $10B in taxes when he sold Tesla stock if it works so well.

Loans to Musk were a risky asset before the election. He was at risk of investigation in the event Trump lost. No one would have given him a loan big enough to supply the cash needs which this sale supplied.

That said, ordinary billionaires can of course make use of this strategy.