Joe Rogan Defends Billionaires, Saying 'They're Working 16 Hours A Day.' He Also Thinks Sharing The Wealth Would Make People Hate Them Less

Comedian Tom Segura joined Joe Rogan for a wide-ranging conversation that included a deep dive into wealth, corporate taxes, and how billionaires are perceived.

In the recent episode of “The Joe Rogan Experience,” both acknowledged the shady side of tax loopholes, but Rogan also pushed back against the blanket criticism of ultra-wealthy individuals.

Don’t Miss:

Segura pointed out how some massive companies avoid taxes by moving profits overseas. “They’ll funnel it to Ireland and then not pay tax on it,” he said. Rogan agreed, saying that’s the game wealthy people and corporations play. “Supposedly, that’s what Jeffrey Epstein did for people. He helped people with tax loopholes and, you know, he helped rich people figure out how to save money,” he added.

“[These loopholes] exist for a reason, right?” Segura asked. Rogan shot back, “They’re scumbags. Yeah. They’ve all put it in place. They just want to make sure that they keep the most amount of money possible.”

Even though Rogan acknowledged these tactics as shady, he argued there’s more nuance when it comes to billionaire founders. “There’s that thing where like ‘no one should be a billionaire,’” Rogan said. “Well, okay, hang on. Do you like having a f***ing iPhone? Somebody had to make that. They’re working 16 hours a day.”

Trending: GM-Backed EnergyX Is Solving the Lithium Supply Crisis — Invest Before They Scale Global Production

Rogan said that people often idolize tech leaders without realizing the personal toll it can take. He said that no one really wants to be Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) CEO Tim Cook or the late Apple co-founder Steve Jobs, adding that Jobs died young because of the intense pressure and workload.

Segura responded that critics aren’t always against the success itself, but rather the inequality that follows. “These Amazon warehouse guys are like f***ing dying in the warehouse,” he said. “You have the people at the top with like hundreds of billions of dollars. You can’t trickle any of that down to some of your workers? That always seems like a legit complaint from people to me.”

Segura said that some of these employees earn as little as $15 an hour, to which Rogan responded that while that’s true, if the founder hadn’t started the company, those jobs wouldn’t even be there in the first place. He also added that they should “spread it around.”

“Seems like probably better for everybody if you spread it around,” he said. “Maybe people wouldn’t hate you as much.”

See Also: Buffett’s Secret to Wealth? Private Real Estate—Get Institutional Access Yourself

They also highlighted rare examples of billionaires who went against the norm. Segura brought up Patagonia founder Yvon Chouinard, who forfeited ownership of the company and profits to fight climate change. Rogan appreciated that kind of move, saying, “He probably did mushrooms one day. He was like, ‘What am I doing? I’m living in this prison.’”

Walmart (NYSE:WMT) founder Sam Walton was another example of humility. Despite becoming the richest man in America in 1985, Walton chose a modest life in Bentonville, Arkansas. Rogan read out his quote, saying, “Why do I drive a pickup truck? What am I supposed to do? Haul my dogs around in a Rolls-Royce?”

But both comedians pointed out that his kids and grandkids don’t live the same way. “They’re nepo babies,” Rogan said. “That’s not good. That’s a tough way to live.”

Read Next: From Moxy Hotels to $12B in Real Estate — The Firm Behind NYC’s Trendiest Properties Is Letting Individual Investors In.

Image: Imagn

UNLOCKED: 5 NEW TRADES EVERY WEEK. Click now to get top trade ideas daily, plus unlimited access to cutting-edge tools and strategies to gain an edge in the markets.

Get the latest stock analysis from Benzinga:

This article Joe Rogan Defends Billionaires, Saying ‘They’re Working 16 Hours A Day.’ He Also Thinks Sharing The Wealth Would Make People Hate Them Less originally appeared on Benzinga.com