Uber Co-Founder Travis Kalanick Leaves California for Texas

Kalanick joins growing list of billionaires abandoning California amid proposed 'Billionaire Tax'

Mar. 15, 2026 at 1:52am

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Uber co-founder Travis Kalanick has revealed that he has relocated from California to Austin, Texas, joining a growing number of billionaires who are leaving the state as lawmakers push for a proposed 'Billionaire Tax' that would impose a one-time 5% tax on fortunes exceeding $1 billion. Kalanick, who was previously ousted from Uber amid scandals, is now focusing on his robotics startup Atoms.

Why it matters

Kalanick's move highlights the growing exodus of wealthy individuals and businesses from California, which has seen an increasing number of billionaires relocate to states like Texas, Florida, and Nevada in recent years. This trend is driven in part by concerns over rising taxes and a perceived anti-business climate in California.

The details

Kalanick, who co-founded Uber and was previously its CEO, told hosts of the TPBN show that he relocated to Austin on December 18. California lawmakers are currently pushing a proposed 2026 Billionaire Tax Act, which would impose a one-time 5% tax on fortunes exceeding $1 billion and apply to people who were California residents as of January 1, 2026. Other billionaire tech figures who have left California for Florida include Google founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin, PayPal and Palantir investor Peter Thiel, Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, and Meta chief Mark Zuckerberg.

  • Kalanick relocated to Austin on December 18.
  • California lawmakers are currently pushing a proposed 2026 Billionaire Tax Act.

The players

Travis Kalanick

The co-founder of Uber who was previously ousted as CEO and is now focusing on his robotics startup Atoms.

Atoms

Kalanick's robotics startup that automates tasks in sectors including food service, mining, and transportation using physical AI robots.

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What they’re saying

“Why so much Florida action?! Like, come on homies”

— Travis Kalanick (TPBN)

The takeaway

Kalanick's relocation to Texas is part of a broader trend of billionaires and businesses leaving California, driven by concerns over rising taxes and a perceived anti-business climate in the state. This exodus highlights the challenges California faces in retaining its wealthiest residents and most prominent companies.