‘Paying higher taxes is not a bad thing’

Patrick T. Fallon | Bloomberg | Getty Images

Priscilla Chan, co-founder of the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative

Priscilla Chan, co-founder of the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative and the wife of Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg, on Friday said made comments in support of higher taxes for the wealthy.

“For people who can afford it, paying higher taxes is not a bad thing,” Chan said at the South by Southwest conference in Austin, Texas. “We should be doing that.”

Chan’s comments came during an interview with CNN journalist Poppy Harlow, who asked Chan if she was in support of higher taxes for the wealthy. Harlow followed the question by asking Chan if she supported New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s proposal for a 70 percent wealth tax.

“I don’t know enough about her proposal, but I do think we should be thoughtful about how we can get more resources for these important systems,” Chan responded.

During the session, Chan spoke about her organization’s philanthropic initiatives in science, education and prison reform. Her comments come on the same day as 2020 presidential candidate Sen. Elizabeth Warren unveiled a new plan to break up large tech companies like Facebook and Amazon.

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