Shopify CEO Tobias Lütke endorses tax‑tiered voting proposal

Shopify founder and chief executive Tobias Lütke used his personal social‑media account to back a tax‑tiered voting system that would give no votes to anyone who pays no income tax and up to five votes to the highest earners. The scheme would treat retirees with locked‑in pensions as dependents, removing their voting rights, and would scale votes based on the amount of tax paid – from zero votes for non‑taxpayers to five votes for those paying tax on $500,000 or more.

Lütke’s endorsement sparked sharp criticism, with observers warning that the idea revives discredited plutocratic concepts and would disenfranchise millions of low‑income Americans, students, caregivers and others who owe no federal income tax. The proposal, while framed as aligning fiscal contribution with political voice, was described as a “good system” by Lütke, reviving a debate over wealth, power and democracy in the United States and drawing attention in Canada, where Shopify is headquartered.