US Senator slams Musk’s ‘Person of the Year’ title, calls for change in 'rigged' tax code

US Senator Elizabeth Warren on Monday slammed Tesla CEO Elon Musk’s designation as Time’s 2021 ‘Person of the Year’. It is to mention that Warren is a staunch supporter of taxing the wealthy and has even proposed to impose a 2% tax on household net worth. Now, while reiterating the same, the Massachusetts senator called for a change in the “rigged” tax code and stated that ‘The Person of the Year’ should “stop freeloading” off everyone else.

In a separate tweet, she also shared a new Time cover created by American for Tax Fairness with the words “TAX ME” placed over a photo of Musk, alongside text that said Musk paid 0% in federal income tax in 2018. She also retweeted a post that stated, “It’s *TIME* for Elon Musk to pay for his fair shares in taxes.” Elizabeth Warren has repeatedly slammed Musk given his avoidance of paying what she says is his fair share in taxes. 

Netizens grill Musk's 'People of the Year' title

Meanwhile, Warren wasn’t the only one to slam Elon Musk’s title, as social media also grilled the Tesla CEO and said that Dolly Parton or Britney Spears would have been better suited for Time’s 2021 ‘Person of the Year’. Frustrated with the magazine’s nod to top multi-billionaire Elon Musk, netizens said that it is “unfair” that a “narcissist billionaire who doesn’t pay taxes” is anointed as a ‘Person of the Year’. While one user said that the Time ‘Person of the Year’ title has transitioned to the “Time ‘person who has paid the least in taxes”, others ignored the magazine’s choice and offered their own. 

Elon Musk named ‘TIME’s ‘Person of the Year’ 

Meanwhile, Elon Musk became the ‘Person of the Year’ in 2021, taking the title from US President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris, who received it last year. Musk is the world’s richest man with a net worth of almost $300 billion. Despite his enormous wealth, Musk is probably the only billionaire who does not own a house as he had pledged to “own no home” -- a promise that he fulfilled by selling his mansion for $30 million on December 2.

In a description about the billionaire, Time wrote, “The richest man in the world does not own a house and has recently been selling off his fortune. He tosses satellites into orbit and harnesses the sun; he drives a car he created that uses no gas and barely needs a driver. With a flick of his finger, the stock market soars or swoons”.  

(Image: AP)