Ocasio-Cortez Claims Nobody Can Earn a Billion Dollars, Draws Widespread Criticism

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., faced backlash for stating that an individual "can't earn a billion dollars." Critics dismissed the progressive Squad member's assertion during her appearance on comedian Ilana Glazer's podcast, "It's Open."

Ocasio-Cortez argued that achieving a ten-figure net worth signals a policy failure, not personal success. "You can’t earn a billion dollars," she told Glazer. "You can get market power. You can break rules. You can do all sorts of things. You can abuse labor laws. You can pay people less than what they’re worth. But you can’t earn that, right? And so you have to create a myth ... you have to create a myth of earning it."

New York Post columnist Miranda Devine responded with a facepalm emoji. Daily Wire co-founder Ben Shapiro labeled the claims lies. "Billionaires get rich by innovating and risk-taking, offering new and better goods and services at prices people are willing to pay," he wrote on social media. "Government makes cash through confiscation. AOC's conspiratorial, envious view of the world leads to impoverishment and tyranny."

Author and entrepreneur Paul Graham countered, "Sure you can earn a billion dollars. I've been teaching people how to do it for 20 years. The way you do it is to start a company that grows fast. You don't have to do anything bad to make a company grow fast. You just have to make something people want."

Real Clear Politics senior writer Mark Hemingway called the full podcast conversation worse than the viral clip. "AOC is rightfully getting roasted for this, but it’s so much worse than this short clip. The amount of empty-headed lefty buzzwords and whining about 'genocidal frameworks' on this podcast is just astounding," he said on X.

Ocasio-Cortez blamed economic insecurity on systemic issues, not personal choices. "It’s not that Walmart pays less than a living wage," she said, mimicking a forced public mindset. "It’s that I’m poor, and I didn’t work hard enough, so I didn’t earn a better station in my life."

She linked wealth gaps to cultural tensions. "In an era of extreme income inequality, I don’t think it’s a coincidence that this xenophobia and anti-immigrant feeling is happening at the same time," she said.

Noah Smith, author of an economics-focused Substack, worried about Democrats' direction. "I am concerned that the Dems are becoming the party of 'millionaires who resent billionaires,'" he wrote. "'I made my millions fair and square, but you cheated and exploited the workers to make your billions, you capitalist pig!'"

Jennifer Sey, founder and CEO of XX-XY Athletics, questioned Democratic views on billionaire donors like Tom Steyer and Daniel Lurie. Reason editor Robby Soave called Ocasio-Cortez's statement false and aimed at justifying wealth confiscation. The Atlantic's Conor Friedersdorf noted some billionaires gain wealth improperly but others, like Bill Gates and Jay-Z, create real value.

Twitch co-founder Michael Seibel disagreed. "I strongly do not agree. This populist messaging is counterproductive. AOC teaching people that wealth = immorality is in opposition to the American dream," he wrote.

Ocasio-Cortez addressed the criticism on X and stood by her words. "Some people get enraged that I draw attention to this," she wrote. "That’s on them. Let them call me shrill, dumb, inexperienced, girly, uneducated — these folks will say anything to distract from or undercut the truth that working people are getting screwed, and giving people a fair shake means we must have a grown conversation about reigning in abuse of power."