Tiny Crowd Turns Out for 'March for Billionaires' in San Francisco

Only a handful of pro-billionaire activists showed up for the event, which was met with a larger group of counter-protesters.

Published on Feb. 7, 2026

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A planned 'March for Billionaires' in San Francisco's Alta Plaza Park on Saturday drew only a small group of pro-billionaire activists, far fewer than the organizers had expected. The event was met by a larger group of counter-protesters, including one wearing a towering papier-mâché chef puppet costume 'coming to eat the rich.' The discourse at the event sounded more like a high school debate than a serious political protest, with the organizer, Derik Kauffman, arguing that a proposed California wealth tax would drive billionaires out of the state.

Why it matters

The small turnout for the 'March for Billionaires' highlights the lack of widespread public support for policies that heavily favor the ultra-wealthy, even in a city like San Francisco that is home to many tech billionaires. The event also underscores the growing divide between the ultra-wealthy and the rest of society, as well as the increasing public scrutiny and criticism of billionaires and their outsized influence.

The details

The organizer, Derik Kauffman, the founder of an artificial-intelligence startup, argued that a proposed California wealth tax would drive billionaires out of the state and discourage aspiring billionaires from forming companies there. However, his arguments were met with skepticism from the journalists and counter-protesters in attendance. One counter-protester, wearing a towering papier-mâché chef puppet costume, chased a man in a crown around the park, yelling 'He's coming to eat the rich!' The event later moved to Civic Center, where the organizers did not have a permit for a protest.

  • The 'March for Billionaires' was scheduled for Saturday, February 8, 2026 at Alta Plaza Park in San Francisco.
  • The event later moved to Civic Center, where the organizers did not have a permit for a protest.

The players

Derik Kauffman

The founder of an artificial-intelligence startup and the leader of the small band of billionaire admirers who organized the 'March for Billionaires.'

Annie

A young transgender woman who attended the protest in a T-shirt that said 'I'm in a polycule' and 'aggressively defended billionaires' at a previous 'little rationalist restaurant get together' where the event was first discussed.

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What they’re saying

“California is, I believe, the only state to give health insurance to people who come into the country illegally. I think we probably should not be providing that.”

— Derik Kauffman, Organizer of the 'March for Billionaires' (Mission Local)

“It is the intention of journalists to lie, which is why we need to not do anything to the journalists themselves, but we need to simply remove them as a class. Just like Germany does to the extremist organizations.”

— Annie, Software engineer and attendee of the 'March for Billionaires' (Mission Local)

What’s next

The organizers of the 'March for Billionaires' may face legal consequences for holding the protest without a permit at Civic Center.

The takeaway

The small turnout and heated discourse at the 'March for Billionaires' event highlights the growing public skepticism and criticism of the ultra-wealthy, even in a city like San Francisco that is home to many tech billionaires. The event underscores the widening divide between the super-rich and the rest of society, and the increasing public scrutiny of the outsized influence of billionaires.