Fox News host Charles Gasparino has a simple message for anyone designing tax policy: stop punishing the people who swing for the fences. He argued the U.S. tax system should encourage entrepreneurs to take risks, weighing in on Amazon.com Inc.'s (AMZN) founder Jeff Bezos' defense of business success and wealthy entrepreneurs.

In a FOX Business segment published Sunday, Gasparino responded to remarks Bezos made in an interview with Fox News. Bezos had pushed back against portraying wealthy people as villains, saying, "Success is not villainy."

Gasparino Says Tax System Encourages Risk-Taking

Gasparino argued that political criticism of wealthy business leaders has pushed some entrepreneurs toward free-market principles.

He described what he sees as entrepreneurs' "transition to Reaganism," saying some had become "born again Reaganites" because, in his view, the political left had become too extreme and entrepreneurs no longer felt at home in the Democratic Party.

"One of the great things we have is essentially a tax system that encourages people like Bezos to take chances," Gasparino said. "You want more Bezos. You want more Elon Musks."

Gasparino also argued that entrepreneurs create opportunities for others, describing Amazon as a platform for entrepreneurial activity. He said he wanted entrepreneurs competing to develop the next major innovation in artificial intelligence.

Wealth Inequality Remains Part Of The Debate

Gasparino's defense of a tax system that encourages entrepreneurship comes amid debate over how billionaire wealth is taxed and distributed.

Former U.S. Labor Secretary Robert Reich has argued that raising Jeff Bezos' income taxes would not generate additional tax payments in years when he paid no federal income tax, while a wealth tax could target accumulated wealth.

Meanwhile, Federal Reserve data showed inflation-adjusted median wealth rose 19% among the richest 10% of households between 2022 and 2025, while it fell 56% among the poorest 25%, although overall wealth inequality changed little.

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