WNBA, Angel Reese, reese's puffs, cereal — Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images

by Edwian Stokes

May 25, 2026

Angel Reese’s Rise And Popularity In The League Is Impressive

The WNBA star’s 2026 campaign is shaping up well

The Women’s National Basketball Association kicked off its 30^th season on May 8. In a press release directed at the upcoming season, WNBA Commissioner Kathy Engelbert stated, “Season 30 arrives at the perfect transformational moment in our league’s history – marking both a defining milestone and the beginning of a new era for the WNBA.” The “new era” Engelbert highlighted includes the Atlanta Dream’s 6’3 forward Angel Reese.

Initially drafted by the Chicago Sky as the seventh overall pick in 2024, Reese was traded to the Atlanta Dream over the past WNBA offseason. At the time of Reese’s trade, she had been voted to two WNBA All-Star games and led the WNBA in rebounding with 12.6 rebounds per game. At the time of her trade, ESPN reported that Reese led the WNBA in 2025 in double-doubles (points & rebounding). The outlet noted Reese is the only player in WNBA history to average 12.0 rebounds per game in a season, a feat accomplished in 2024 and 2025.

Upon joining the Atlanta Dream, Reese, 24, said, “I’m beyond grateful for the opportunity to join the Atlanta Dream organization.” “I’m focused on continuing to grow my game, competing at the highest level, connecting with the fans, and giving everything I’ve got to the Dream.”

Reese’s 2026 campaign is backing up her words. During the Dream’s road season opener on May 9, a 91-90 win over the Minnesota Lynx, Reese became the fastest player in league history to notch 50 career double-doubles. Fox News reported that Reese notched the accomplishment in 65 games, surpassing Tina Charles’ mark of 75 games. Reese, in her Dream debut, finished the game with 11 points and 14 rebounds.

Reese’s dominance extends off the WNBA hardwood. She was “the highest paid Black woman in basketball right now,” ESSENCE reported, stating Reese’s 2025 estimated income was $9.4 million, with $9 million coming in “off-court endorsements and brand work.”

Reese emphatically stated in an Instagram post, “The WNBA don’t pay my bills at all. I don’t even think it pays one of my bills.”

Reese’s financial forecast is bright. In 2025, Reese’s endorsement list included McDonald’s, Victoria’s Secret, Reebok, Cash App, Good American, and others. The fast-food burger behemoth created the “Angel Reese Special,” while the lingerie producing giant made Reese the first pro athlete to “ever walk the Victoria’s Secret runway,” and in 2026, Reebok released Reese’s signature shoe, the Angel Reese 1’s.

Jidi Osifeo, Reebok’s head of basketball, told ESPN in 2024 of Reese’s signing, “Reebok and Angel are growing together every day, and our visions for the future are aligned. We’re excited to continue the relationship with a ground-up build of her signature silhouette.”

An objective barometer of popularity in the WNBA is jersey sales, and Reese finished fourth in the league. In addition, Forbes reported the WNBA trading cards now outvalue those of their NBA contemporaries. The report noted Reese came in second place in the league, behind fellow 2024 rookie Caitlyn Clarke, with 7,200 graded cards (Clarke is leading the league in 105,000 graded cards since the start of the 2024 WNBA season).

The recently signed Collective Bargaining Agreement by the Women’s National Basketball Association Players Association, which runs until 2032, will undoubtedly raise Reese’s on-court finances. Reese, who is still playing on a four-year 2024 rookie contract valued at $324,383, earned $74,909 in 2025 and is due to make $350,692 in 2026, according to Sportac’s contract breakdown.

foreclosure, 50 veterans in 50 states in 50 days, Letouer Turner — photo credit: respres, CC BY 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons

by Sidnee Michelle

May 25, 2026

Influencer Campaign Helps Chicago Veteran Fight Foreclosure

Letouer Turner, a Chicago Heights resident and Iraq War veteran, faces the possible loss of his home.

An outpouring of online support is helping an Illinois veteran fight to keep his family home after a tax error pushed the disabled father into foreclosure.

Letouer Turner, a Chicago Heights resident and Iraq War veteran, faces the possible loss of his home even though he qualifies for a Disabled Veterans Exemption program that is meant to reduce or eliminate property taxes for veterans with service-related disabilities. Turner served 15 months in Iraq and is now considered 100% disabled. He said the financial situation has made his anxiety, depression, and PTSD worse.

The situation gained national attention when Australian social media creator Samuel Weidenhofer started a GoFundMe campaign to help Turner save his home. Weidenhofer, known for his charitable fundraising efforts, said Turner’s story resonated because the veteran “did everything right” but still risks losing the home he bought for his children.

“I met Letouer Turner while covering his story, but what stayed with me was the weight of what he is going through,” Weidenhofer wrote on Turner’s GoFundMe page.

Fox 32 Chicago reports that foreclosure filings show that Turner allegedly owes over $243,000 related to the tax dispute. Cook County officials reportedly issued a certificate of error and refunded part of the taxes Turner paid, but this reimbursement has not stopped the foreclosure process.

Weidenhofer’s fundraiser is part of a larger initiative called “50 veterans in 50 states in 50 days.” This program aims to help struggling veterans nationwide during Military Appreciation Month. The influencer previously raised over $1 million for 88-year-old veteran Ed Bambas, whose story of working past retirement age went viral last year.

Turner expressed that the unexpected support has left him overwhelmed with gratitude after months of uncertainty about his home and future. The fundraiser continues to gather donations as supporters come together for the veteran and his family.

7 Meaningful Ways Your Business Can Honor Memorial Day

by Jasmine Jackson

May 25, 2026

7 Meaningful Ways Your Business Can Honor Memorial Day

Besides grilling, sitting by a lake or pool, and enjoying time with friends or family, there’s one more thing many of us associate with Memorial Day: sales.

In the weeks leading up to the annual holiday, you can’t miss the constant ads for deals, discounts, and promotions at businesses across the nation. It’s supposed to be a day to honor and remember those who’ve died serving in the U.S. military, so why do we even have Memorial Day sales?

Some credit it to warmer weather pushing people outdoors (and to the shops); to Memorial Day marking the unofficial start of summer; to the three-day weekend giving millions of people more time to buy; and even simply to the tradition of it.

But the commercialization of Memorial Day is not unlike that of any other holiday—Labor Day, Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, Thanksgiving/Black Friday, and Christmas sales, to name a few—and it brings in tons of revenue for businesses across the country, sometimes even more than Black Friday. However, if a business doesn’t acknowledge what the day is actually for but jumps on the chance to offer deals and promos to rake in the money, it can rub people—especially veterans—the wrong way.

Here are seven ways to respectfully commemorate Memorial Day while still putting on special promotions and discounts.

Celebrate your military veteran employees

Get photos (from when they were in the service) and profiles of all veteran employees. Circulate this to the entire company with a message from leadership, and consider posting the photos on social media with messages from the veterans themselves.

“This will highlight the contributions of your veterans plus reinforce the positive attributes of military service that align with your internal culture,” says Joe Beard, former U.S. Army captain, West Point graduate, and CEO and co-founder of CollateralEdge.

“It is also a great way for your employees to learn about each other.”

Recognize Memorial Day on your business’s social media pages and website (and do it in a meaningful way)

The first critical step: Don’t say “Happy Memorial Day.” This holiday is not the same as wishing someone a “happy holidays”—it’s a somber day to pause and reflect on the sacrifice millions of soldiers made for our freedoms.

Use your social media pages and website to share a veteran’s story or to share the history of Memorial Day and its significance. You could add icons or widgets on your website that link to community Memorial Day events, historical facts about the holiday, or national organizations where people can donate money or volunteer.

Sponsor or participate in a local Memorial Day event in your town

Cities and towns across the country observe Memorial Day with parades, fundraisers, and community events. Sponsoring or volunteering at a local Memorial Day event not only gets your business’ name out there, but it also connects you to the community in the right way.

“I believe everyone should take a day to remember why Americans can live the way we do. It is because of the fallen that we get to live in peace and comfort,” says Kyle Retter, U.S. veteran and owner of Fitness Premier 24/7 Clubs.

Volunteer at a veterans’ memorial cemetery

No matter if it’s a specific service project, general cleanup, or even placing flags by tombstones, there are plenty of ways to participate. If there’s a veterans memorial cemetery nearby, gather your staff to volunteer for a day, or even a few hours.

“Memorial Day is about what we as a nation have achieved through the sacrifice of our men and women in uniform. Not the rich, not the poor, but all of us, together,” says Zachary Malone, co-owner of EZ Elopements LLC and U.S. Army veteran.

“I think giving back is what truly honors those who have gone before us, and an organized platform such as a company or local office can do a lot of good in a small amount of time.”

Invite a veteran to speak to your team

If you don’t have any veterans on staff (or they aren’t willing to share their experiences), bringing in a veteran to talk with your team is a great way to help people focus on what Memorial Day really means.

“There are generations of veterans that are passing away, and they all have fascinating stories to tell,” Beard says.

“The inspiration and learnings could be unlimited for your team. Additionally, it’s a great way to honor a veteran.”

Donate a portion of Memorial Day sale proceeds

If you’re offering special holiday sales, consider donating all or part of the proceeds to a trusted charitable organization that supports families of fallen veterans or veterans in general. About 25,000 children have lost a parent who was an active duty member in the military in the past 35 years, according to Children of Fallen Patriots, with 60 percent of families reporting having trouble making ends meet.

Here are just a few of the thousands of organizations aimed at helping veterans and their families. Your city leaders might also have options to consider that are more local:

Hire a veteran, or initiate a program around hiring veterans

Although this is more of a long-term suggestion rather than a specific Memorial Day commemoration, it’s an effective way to honor veterans beyond the weekend.

“Transitioning from the military can be really difficult for many soldiers, especially those wounded in combat. What better way to honor veterans than by making sure you employ them and give them opportunities to continue contributing to society?” Beard says.

“Undoubtedly, these employees will bring the right work ethic and cultural norms that will be additive to most businesses. This is really putting your money where your mouth is for senior executives.”

by Kenneth Meeks

May 24, 2026

Rev. Dr. W. Franklyn Richardson Drops A Word On Transgenerational Wealth

Rev. Richardson shares a big message in a short package

It took Rev. Dr. W. Franklyn Richardson 30 seconds to inspire a little more than 700 Black men at the 2025 XCEL Summit for Men. Rev. Richardson, the senior pastor at Grace Baptist Church in Mt. Vernon, New York, and an XCEL Award honoree, encouraged everyone during his acceptance speech to create their own resources and possibilities today, so they become transgenerational to their children and grandchildren tomorrow. It all boiled down to a simple concept: If you’re investing in this generation, make it last for the next. Otherwise, our children and grandchildren will not get to where they need to be.

As BLACK ENTERPRISE prepares for its 10^th anniversary of the XCEL Summit for Men, Rev. Richardson’s message still resonates. Here’s a brief excerpt from his speech.

Christine Job, Spain, expats — Christine Job in Madrid. Used with her permission.

by Ann Brown

May 24, 2026

After Leaving Atlanta For Spain, Christine Job Built ‘Flourish In The Foreign’ Into A Global Archive Of Black Women Abroad

She launched a podcast and consulting firm that helps other Black women move abroad.

When Christine Job launched podcast and multimedia platform Flourish in the Foreign in 2020 from her apartment in Spain, she wasn’t trying to create another glossy travel podcast filled with vacation tips and curated Instagram fantasies. She wanted to build an archive.

Six years later, Flourish in the Foreign has grown into more than 150 deeply personal interviews with Black women living across the globe, from Portugal and Ghana to Japan, Mexico, and the Netherlands. The podcast is now award-winning, having won the Best International Podcast award at the 2021 Black Podcasting Awards.

Job’s own migration story from the U.S. began long before the podcast. Raised between Texas and California before her father was stationed in Germany, she became comfortable traveling internationally at a young age. She later studied abroad in Valencia, Spain, while attending the University of Georgia, according to Voyage Atlanta.

After earning her law degree from the University of Miami School of Law, where she became the first Black woman elected Student Bar Association president, Job entered the entrepreneurial space instead of following a traditional corporate law route.

Still, she says burnout arrived early.

The turning point came in 2014 when she walked nearly 500 miles across northern Spain on the Camino de Santiago pilgrimage route.

“When you are walking that long, that far, with that much silence, there is nowhere to hide from yourself,” Job told BLACK ENTERPRISE. “Somewhere along that road, I got honest.”

By 2017, she moved to Spain permanently, initially planning to stay for only two years. Nearly a decade later, she remains there, now based in Valencia, while building a consulting practice and research archive.

She is helping others with the untold issues of migrating.

“Relief is real. Stepping outside a context that has been chronically stressful — where your safety is not guaranteed, where the weight of being Black in America accumulates in ways that are both acute and systemic — produces a genuine, physiological sense of release… I don’t dismiss it,” she says. “But relief is not liberation. Liberation requires different conditions — structural ones, internal ones — and it cannot be outsourced to a geography. The version of yourself that boards the plane is the version that arrives. Your patterns arrive with you.”

Job says many of the women she speaks with are highly educated professionals who followed conventional markers of success — careers, degrees, homeownership — but still feel dissatisfied or emotionally exhausted in the U.S.

“There’s a growing curiosity about whether another way of living is possible,” she said.

Still, she is careful not to romanticize migration.

“Migration is disruptive,” she said. “It’s not glamorous. It’s hard and full of sacrifice.”

One major concern of people looking to move abroad is money.

“U.S. salaries in professional fields are structurally higher than most European equivalents. If wealth means rapid income accumulation in the traditional American model, the United States remains one of the most efficient environments for that. I won’t romanticize the differential,” Job points out.

“What living internationally changed for me was the definition of the question itself. The cost-of-living difference means a professional income in Spain supports a quality of life that would require a significantly higher salary in Atlanta or New York. I have access to healthcare that doesn’t require me to calculate whether I can afford to be sick. I have time — which is its own form of capital, consistently undervalued in the American wealth conversation.

Before moving, Job advises doing your homework.

“I researched my visa options rigorously before I moved, consulted with attorneys in multiple countries, and entered Spain for my first year on a language assistant visa through Spain’s Ministry of Education — a deliberate entry point that gave me legal status and time to orient without financial desperation driving my decisions,” she shares.

Figuring out how you will earn money is a must.

“Financially, the adjustment required decoupling my income from geography — building a professional practice whose value wasn’t contingent on my physical location. That turned out to be not just a financial strategy but an intellectual one,” says Job. “The constraint of having to articulate my value clearly enough that it could travel across markets forced me to understand what I was actually offering at a level of precision that a conventional career path might never have demanded.”

Then, there’s the cultural adjustment. “Culturally, the most useful thing I did was shift from trying to replicate my American life in Spain to studying Spain as a system with its own internal logic,” Job says.

Also, she says don’t make assumptions. “There’s a misconception that Black presence guarantees belonging. The African diaspora is not monolithic. Moving somewhere with an established Black or African community does not automatically grant you entry into it — different histories, different class dynamics, different cultural contracts are all operating beneath the surface of shared melanin,” she stresses.

Meanwhile, Job is steadily working to use her experiences to develop new projects.

In late 2025, she was selected for an artist residency at Casa Mísia in Lisbon through the Kees Eijrond Foundation. “Alongside the residency, I launched Love Letters from Elsewhere — a Substack publication that brings the intellectual framework of my research into public conversation. It is where I write about migration, belonging, identity, and the gap between the life abroad people imagine and the one that actually gets built.”

This fall, she will also begin a doctoral program in Migration Studies at one of Europe’s leading social science research institutions. “My research focuses on the voluntary migration of Black American women and understanding what Black women are actually doing when they leave.”

On top of this, she is developing a book that makes the case for why the story of Black women leaving America is being told wrong, and what the right story reveals about power, belonging, and what liberation actually requires.

“What I’m building is a body of work,” Job said. “An archive. A scholarship. A literature.”

Tristan Thompson, technology, investing, TracyAI — (Photo: Joseph Okpako/WireImage)

by Edwian Stokes

May 23, 2026

From The Hardwood To Venture Capital: How Tristan Thompson Leveraged NBA Tech Dinners Into An AI Portfolio

Former NBA forward Tristan Thompson is demonstrating how modern athletes are evolving from passive lifestyle investors into sophisticated tech administrators.

The intersection of professional sports and venture capital has long been a lucrative pipeline. In a recent appearance on the Market Bubble podcast, Tristan Thompson—the fourth overall pick in the 2011 NBA Draft and 2016 NBA champion with the Cleveland Cavaliers—detailed how strategic networking during his playing career reshaped his investment concepts. The catalyst was road trips to face the Golden State Warriors. Taking advantage of Silicon Valley’s proximity, Thompson attended high-level dinners that connected elite athletes and tech executives.

These cross-industry relationships exposed Thompson to the transformative potential of artificial intelligence (AI). Recognizing a generational macroeconomic shift, Thompson, 35, secured an early-stage allocation in Anthropic, the AI safety and research pioneer behind Claude. According to Bloomberg, Anthropic, backed by technology behemoths like Amazon and Alphabet Inc., is in discussions to raise $30 billion at a staggering $900 billion valuation.

Former NBA player Tristan Thompson joins the Market Bubble podcast.

Capital Optimization via Special Purpose Vehicles

Thompson’s investment strategy highlights a growing sophistication among athletes in their approach to investment opportunities. Rather than doling out capital in isolation, he used a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) to execute the Anthropic deal, which drew capital from peer investors to write a larger, more impactful check.

“I was able to get in an SPV early and bring in all of my other friends and make a bigger check,” Thompson said, highlighting a textbook venture capital strategy used to maximize leverage and secure allocation in highly competitive funding rounds.

The Pivot to Founder: Introducing TracyAI

Thompson, who last played in the National Basketball Association during the 2024-25 season, is now putting his venture experience and domain expertise into founder equity. He has emerged as co-founder, chief content officer, and lead advisor of TracyAI, an AI-powered sports analytics platform designed to disrupt metrics for athletic performance and fan engagement.

According to Sports Business Journal, TracyAI functions as a voice-activated, real-time analytics agent trained on legacy basketball data, media coverage, and statistical feeds. What sets TracyAI apart is its ability to deliver instant, context-rich insights and recommendations tailored to both coaches and fans, providing previously inaccessible actionable information during games and training sessions.

Why TracyAI Matters to the Sports Economy

The business logic behind TracyAI focuses on operational effectiveness and scalability. It addresses three core pillars of the sports business sector: data democratization, operational efficiency, and fan monetization. Unlike traditional analytics, TracyAI replaces manual data gathering with an instant push-to-talk interface and delivers real-time, customized insights. With proprietary real-time decision support, TracyAI’s architecture lets brands and franchises rethink how they deliver instant engagement and value to a data-hungry consumer base.

Thompson’s trajectory provides a blueprint for the modern corporate athlete. By shifting from promotional endorsements to calculated early-stage equity positions and active founder roles, Thompson underscores a broader macroeconomic reality: in the current market, AI is no longer just software and hardware—it is the foundational infrastructure for the future of every industry, including sports entertainment.

Charlamagne Tha God, Charlamagne, — Photo by Gabe Ginsberg/Getty Images for iHeartRadio

by Sidnee Michelle

May 23, 2026

‘The Breakfast Club’ Added To Netflix Live Streaming Lineup

The agreement builds on a video podcast partnership announced between Netflix and iHeartMedia in late 2025.

Netflix is adding to its live programming with the launch of ‘The Breakfast Club,’ streaming on Netflix starting June 1. This marks the platform’s first daily live series, according to Deadline. The addition strengthens Netflix’s partnership with iHeartMedia and shows its increasing focus on live and video podcast content.

Charlamagne tha God, DJ Envy, and Jess Hilarious will host the weekday show. It will air on the New York radio station Power 105.1 and stream on Netflix for nearly three hours each day. Netflix subscribers will also get exclusive behind-the-scenes clips, extended interviews, and bonus segments not available in the radio broadcast.

“The media landscape will always evolve, but one thing consistently cuts through: live programming. That’s a big reason ‘The Breakfast Club’ has sustained its reign for so long. We’re building something powerful—real‑time conversation, real community, on a global scale,” Charlamagne tha God said in a statement.

This announcement comes as streaming companies are investing more in affordable, recurring live programming to boost daily viewer engagement. According to Reuters, the agreement builds on a video podcast partnership announced between Netflix and iHeartMedia in late 2025.

“It’s a big step forward in how we bring culturally defining audio-first franchises to life for ⁠Netflix audiences around the world, and we’re excited to deepen our partnership with iHeartMedia,” Lauren Smith, Netflix’s vice president of content licensing and programming strategy, shared.

Since its launch in 2010, ‘The Breakfast Club’ has become one of the most important shows in hip-hop and Black popular culture, known for its open celebrity interviews and politically charged discussions. Notable guests have included former Presidents Barack Obama and Joe Biden, former Vice President Kamala Harris, and artists like Kendrick Lamar and Alicia Keys.

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This deal also shows Netflix’s increasing commitment to unscripted and live entertainment as it competes with platforms like YouTube for video podcast viewers.

Chick-Fil-A, monkeys — Photo by Michael Siluk/UCG/Universal Images Group via Getty Images

by Sidnee Michelle

May 23, 2026

Chick-Fil-A Franchise Hit With Religious Discrimination Lawsuit

The lawsuit, filed in federal court in Austin, Texas, accuses Hatch Trick Inc. of violating Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964

Texas operator of several Chick-fil-A restaurants is facing a federal lawsuit after allegedly firing an employee who requested Saturdays off to observe her religious Sabbath, according to the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.

The lawsuit, filed in federal court in Austin, Texas, accuses Hatch Trick Inc. of violating Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 by failing to reasonably accommodate the religious beliefs of employee Laurel Torode, a member of the United Church of God. The denomination observes the Sabbath from Friday sunset through Saturday sunset.

According to the EEOC, Torode disclosed her religious scheduling needs during her 2023 interview for a management position at one of the company’s Austin-area restaurants. The agency said Hatch Trick initially honored the arrangement before later requiring her to work Saturdays.

The EEOC reports that Torode allegedly proposed alternative scheduling solutions that would have allowed her to continue working as a manager while maintaining her religious observance. Instead, the company allegedly offered her a lower-paying delivery driver role with reduced benefits and fewer hours. When she declined the reassignment, she was terminated, according to the complaint.

The case has drawn national attention because Chick-fil-A has long marketed itself around Christian values and famously closes its restaurants on Sundays. The company told Fox Business that employment decisions are handled independently by franchise operators.

The EEOC said the lawsuit follows unsuccessful efforts to settle the dispute through mediation. Acting EEOC Dallas Regional Attorney Ronald L. Phillips said federal law protects workers seeking reasonable religious accommodations unless employers can demonstrate an undue hardship on business operations.

“The duty under federal law to provide reasonable accommodation of religion reflects an acknowledgment by our society of the importance of faith in workers’ everyday lives and an abiding respect for those who observe religious practices as an expression of that faith,” he said.

nursing school, Tuskegee University, Alabama,HBCU Nursing Apprenticeship Program — (Photo: CarlosDavid.org/Getty Images)

by Sidnee Michelle

May 22, 2026

New Federal Aid Program Expands Pell Grants Beyond Traditional Degrees

Labor shortages are affecting industries like manufacturing, healthcare, and skilled trades.

The U.S. Department of Education is ramping up to launch a new federal aid program aimed at helping Americans enter high-demand careers. Labor shortages are affecting industries like manufacturing, healthcare, and skilled trades, and the goal of this round of Pell Grants is to aid these shortages.

Starting July 1, eligible students can use Workforce Pell Grants to enroll in short-term job training programs that take as little as eight weeks to complete. The Education Department says this initiative expands traditional Pell Grant funding to include training programs that lead directly to jobs.

Education Secretary Linda McMahon stated that this program aims to address growing workforce gaps while easing the financial strain of higher education.

“You can stack these credentials in electrical work, HVAC, carpentry – a lot of the skills and workforce that we need because we are desperately in need of this workforce development,” McMahon said to Fox Business.

Under the new rules, colleges and training providers must prove their programs lead to measurable earnings for graduates. Schools will also need to keep tuition and fees in line with what graduates are likely to earn, helping to avoid excessive student debt, according to the department.

The federal Pell Grant program has traditionally assisted low-income undergraduate students seeking standard college degrees. Workforce Pell represents one of the biggest expansions of the program in decades by allowing federal aid for shorter-term training aimed at immediate jobs.

This initiative comes as employers and policymakers continue to express concerns about labor shortages in technical and medical sectors. Recent discussions about federal student loan limits have also sparked wider conversations about how the country prepares workers for vital industries.

Federal officials believe the program could offer a quicker, cheaper path to stable careers for Americans who may not want or cannot afford a four-year degree. Workforce Pell regulations are set to be officially published in the Federal Register this week.

by Selena Hill

May 22, 2026

Amazon Founder Jeff Bezos Says Bottom 50% Should Not Pay Income Taxes

The billionaire entrepreneur says eliminating federal taxes on lower-income Americans could spark innovation and create more opportunities for future business leaders.

Amazon Founder and Executive Chairman Jeff Bezos is calling for a dramatic overhaul of the federal tax system, arguing that the bottom half of American workers should pay no federal income tax — at all.

Bezos, who ranks as the fourth-richest person in the world with an estimated net worth of $267.3 billion, said Americans with lower incomes would benefit more from a complete tax elimination rather than modest reductions during an interview on CNBC’s “Squawk Box.” He noted that the top 1% of taxpayers pay about 40% of all tax revenue, while the bottom 50% account for just 3%.

“I don’t think it should be 3%. I think it should be zero,” he argued. “I don’t want to reduce it, I want to eliminate it,” he continued. “I think there’s something very powerful about zero. Zero is a better number than $1.”

The Blue Origin founder argued that income tax paid by lower earners is “a small amount of money for the government,” using a New York City healthcare worker who earns $75,000 a year as an example.

“You have a bunch of people in this country who are doing really well, but you have a bunch of people in this country who are struggling,” he said. “Some people talk about making the tax system more progressive. How about we start by having the nurse in Queens not pay taxes?”

Bezos said removing the tax burden could help struggling Americans pursue entrepreneurship and wealth-building opportunities.

“The government can give people who are struggling today a better chance at entrepreneurial success by eliminating their tax bill,” he said, adding that some could become “the next Steve Jobs.”

Bezos, however, stopped short when asked if he supports raising taxes on billionaires like himself.

“You could double the taxes I pay, and it’s not gonna help that teacher in Queens. I promise you,” Bezos said in an interview on CNBC earlier Wednesday.

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani fired back on X, saying, “I know a few teachers in Queens who would beg to differ.”

I know a few teachers in Queens who would beg to differ. https://t.co/JEnRnM2xII
— Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani (@NYCMayor) May 20, 2026

According to the Tax Foundation, a nonpartisan tax think tank, Americans earning less than roughly $53,801 annually paid an average federal income tax rate of 3.7% in 2023 and accounted for about 3% of total federal income taxes. By comparison, the top 1% paid an average tax rate of 26.3% and contributed approximately 40% of all federal income taxes. However, a 2024 report by the Yale University Budget Lab found that high earners often use tax loopholes to reduce their IRS bills, and, therefore, end up paying a rate that is “far less” than what’s legally required. For example, some in the top 1% pay an effective tax rate of 3%, while others pay as much as 45%, according to the Budget Lab’s analysis, reports CNBC.

Bezos’ comments arrive amid growing national debates over wealth inequality and tax reform. Several Democratic lawmakers have proposed new taxes targeting wealthy Americans. Sen. Elizabeth Warren recently introduced the Ultra-Millionaire Tax Act of 2026, proposing annual taxes on households with net worth exceeding $50 million and additional taxes on billionaires. Meanwhile, Sen. Cory Booker has proposed the Keep Your Pay Act, which would eliminate taxes on the first $75,000 of income for households filing jointly, and provide proportional tax relief for single filers and heads of household.

Additionally, advocates in California placed a billionaire tax proposal on the November ballot, which would impose a one-time 5% tax on residents with net worths exceeding $1 billion. This has caused fears of a mass exodus of wealth from the state, with several billionaires moving to locales with friendlier tax statutes.