As global political and business leaders gather in Davos for the annual World Economic Forum, an unusual appeal has emerged from within the ranks of the ultra-wealthy themselves. Nearly 400 millionaires and billionaires from 24 countries have jointly urged governments to impose higher taxes on the super-rich, arguing that extreme wealth concentration is fuelling inequality and undermining democracy worldwide.

The appeal is contained in an open letter titled ‘We must win back our future. Leaders at Davos, tax the super rich,’ signed by prominent figures including actor Mark Ruffalo, producer Abigail Disney and musician Brian Eno.

The intervention coincides with the ongoing World Economic Forum meeting in Switzerland and is part of the Time to Win campaign led by Patriotic Millionaires, Patriotic Millionaires Canada, Patriotic Millionaires UK, Millionaires for Humanity and Oxfam.

The signatories argue that decades of economic growth and technological progress have disproportionately benefited a tiny elite, leaving much of the global population behind.

Calling on elected representatives and policymakers attending Davos to act decisively, the group says taxing extreme wealth is a necessary step to reclaim democratic institutions, public services and a shared future.

The full text of the letter is below.

Fifty-five years ago, when the World Economic Forum first met, humanity stood at the dawn of remarkable progress. In the last fifty years, we have taken giant leaps in technology, medicine, communication, and global trade to create huge potential opportunities for humankind.

Today, we are more connected than ever—but at the same time, we have never been more divided. Decades of innovation have gone hand in hand with decades of inequality, environmental destruction, and wasted opportunity. The richest 1% now own more than 95% of the world’s population put together.

The gap between the super rich and everyone else grows larger every day, stretching across neighbourhoods, nations, and, perhaps most of all, generations. A handful of global oligarchs with extreme wealth have bought up our democracies; taken over our governments; gagged the freedom of our media; placed a stranglehold on technology and innovation; deepened poverty and social exclusion; and accelerated the breakdown of our planet. What we treasure, rich and poor alike, is being eaten away by those intent on growing the gulf between their vast power and everyone else.

We all know this. When even millionaires, like us, recognise that extreme wealth has cost everyone else everything else, there can be no doubt that society is dangerously teetering off the edge of a precipice.

We are worn out watching this happen. We want our democracies back. We want our communities back. We want our future back.

In 2026, we must do more than hope for a future we want. We must win it.

You already have a simple and effective solution, supported by millionaires and the public alike. Stop squandering the time we have—tax the super rich.

As millionaires who stand shoulder to shoulder with all people, we demand it. And as our elected representatives—whether it’s those of you at Davos, local councillors, city mayors, or regional leaders—it’s your duty to deliver it. So tax us. Tax the super rich.
We can win back power from those who capture it; win back our democracies from those who abuse them; reclaim health, education, and safe homes from those who have bottomed out our infrastructure and public services. We can win back our shared wealth.

Extreme wealth has led to extreme control for those who gamble with our safe future for their obscene gains. Now is the time to end that control and win back our future.

Millionaires like us refuse to be silent. It is time to be counted. Tax us and make sure the next fifty years meet the promise of progress for everyone.