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US Politician Jesse Ventura Says There Should Be No Billionaires, Calls for 'Maximum Wage'

US Politician Jesse Ventura Says There Should Be No Billionaires, Calls for 'Maximum Wage'

The former Governor or Minnesota insists that capitalism is an increasingly flawed system

Rebecca Shepherd

Rebecca Shepherd

Former wrestling star turned US politician Jesse Ventura has given his thoughts on capitalism - saying that there shouldn't be any billionaires.

The 69-year-old has called for the introduction of a maximum wage and even put a figure on what he believes is enough - $12 million. Oh and if you can't live on that, he reckons the sanction should be capital punishment - which seems pretty harsh.

Speaking on Russian news channel RT, he said: "There shouldn't be one billionaire. There shouldn't be one person worth a billion dollars.

"And I know that's shocking to hearing it come from me, but the older I get the more flaws I see in capitalism, and the more good things sometimes I see in more socialism."

He went on to explain his point: "What can one do to earn a billion dollars? I had at one time what I considered the toughest job I ever did in my life.

"I was right out of high school, I had a job with the Minnesota State Highway Department Bridge Crew and my job was running the 90 pound jackhammer all day long on the street.

"That is the hardest job on the planet - you find me one that's physically or mentally tougher and I was barely making above minimum wage.

"And you're telling me that these billionaires who are now doubling their money, doubling their wealth - that they work harder physically than someone spending eight to ten hours a day on a jackhammer - bull crap, is what I got to say to that."

Jesse Ventura at the Cannabis World Congress & Business Expo.
PA

He wasn't done there either, as he continued: "They earn their money by pushing pencils, they don't even need to use deodorant because none of them ever sweat - I doubt it - at work.

"There should not be a billionaire, and I'm going on record to state this: everybody talks about a minimum wage, a minimum wage, a minimum wage - I say it's time for a maximum wage.

"How about $12 million a year - a million a month.

"If you can't live on $12 million dollars a year, $1 million dollars a month - maybe we should bring back capital punishment... well they already have, haven't they?"

Featured Image Credit: PA

Topics: News, Politics