The Billionaire Exodus: Who's Leaving California Over New Taxes?

The Billionaire Exodus: Who's Leaving California Over New Taxes?

From The Silicon Insider by Pacific Light Media

January 17, 2026 · 20 min

About this episode

Mike Malone and Scott Budman discuss the implications of a major semiconductor deal and the impact of a new tax on California's tech industry.

Mike Malone and Scott Budman explore the $250 billion semiconductor deal between Taiwan and the U.S. and what it means for the future of AI. They dive into OpenAI's massive expansion across 16 states and debate the controversial California billionaire tax that's driving tech icons out of the state. Is this the end of the Silicon Valley "pipeline," or can the region survive the exodus of its wealthiest founders?

People in this episode

Hosts: Mike Malone, Scott Budman

Topics covered

  • semiconductor deal
  • AI expansion
  • California billionaire tax
  • tech exodus
  • Silicon Valley future

Keywords

  • semiconductor
  • AI
  • California tax
  • tech icons
  • Silicon Valley
  • billionaire exodus

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: OpenAI, Taiwan, U.S.

Places: California, Silicon Valley

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