Billionaire Uber cofounder Travis Kalanick moved to Texas—dodging a possible $180 million hit from California’s billionaire tax

Next Tuesday, Californians will vote on Proposition 40, which would impose a one-time 5% tax on the state’s billionaires. It would apply only to people whose primary residence was in California as of Jan. 1, 2026, so several of the state’s wealthiest residents have packed up and shipped out to avoid the extra tax.

One such figure was Travis Kalanick, Uber’s billionaire cofounder. Back in March, he said he had moved to Austin, Texas, on Dec. 18, 2025—just about two weeks before the tax would’ve applied to him. With an estimated net worth of $3.6 billion, Kalanick could have faced a $180 million tax bill. 

“Just to be clear, on December 18, I moved to Texas. I don’t know what’s so specific about December 18, but let’s just say it’s prior to January,” Kalanick told TBPN, hinting at the Jan. 1 cutoff. “Yeah, so I’m a primary resident of Texas.”

Unlike Google cofounder Larry Page, who spent $173.4 million on two Miami estates, Kalanick decided to plant his new roots in Texas. Jeff Bezos made a similar move, leaving Seattle for Miami before Washington passed a millionaires tax.

“I get a little bit [of] FOMO on like, these people going to Florida. I’m like, dude! Why so much Florida action?” Kalanick told TBPN. “Come........

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